Online application system not working
"Kempton Park a pressure area for school placements," said Gauteng MEC of Education.
Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane gave an update on the department’s readiness for schools to re-open on January 10.
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Hosted at Hoërskool Jeugland, the MEC gave an outline of the numbers within the province in terms of Grade Eight and Grade One online placements.
According to Chiloane, 236 Grade One applicants remained unplaced in Olifantsfontein while in Kempton Park 501 Grade Eight applicants remained unplaced as of January 10.
The department confirmed that 290 751 applications were successfully placed.
“The schools will confirm the available spaces for further placement once placed applicants report to schools on day one,” said Chiloane during his presentation to the media on January 10.
“Late applications were opened on December 20 and applicants who applied during this period were placed at available schools,” added Chiloane.
According to the MEC, late applications will close on January 31 and catchup programmes will be implemented at affected schools.
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Parents stood outside Hoërskool Jeugland in frustration as the MEC explained that the online placement system worked well in placing children at schools.
One parent spoke to the Kempton Express regarding the online system that failed to assist in placing his child at Hoërskool Birchleigh.
“I live less than 500m from the school and my child has siblings in the school. Up to today (January 10) we haven’t been allocated a space for my child for Grade Eight this year.
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“My oldest son finished matric there two years ago, my middle child is doing Grade 10 at the school and I am being told my last born can’t enter the school while we live so close to the school.
“This is terrible because 60% of the Grade Eight’s for this year will be from Thembisa.
We know because we hear them every morning coming to school in their loud taxis. Yet our children are subjected to suffering while they say their system is indeed working.
“Imagine I received an SMS that said my child had been accepted in a school at Bedfordview.
“How can I send my child to a school in Bedfordview when there is a school right at my house?” asked the parent.
Sello Thaba, another parent, said his child came from Norkem Park Primary School which is a feeder school for Birchleigh High School yet he was also struggling to get a place in the school.
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Sello said he also lives just three blocks away from the school and submitted all the required documents, however, he had no choice but to come and seek assistance from the members of the district and the MEC.
HOD for the Department of Education Edward Mosuwe explained the appeals process and challenges thereof.
The MEC added that late applicants cannot be transferred to schools of choice and that the number of applicants received during the late application period, who were auto-placed at available schools was 5 739 for Grade One and 2 636 for Grade Eight learners.
A total of 1 394 learners remained unplaced in the province before schools opened last week.
