Schools online registration a nightmare
Like any other parent who wants the best for her children, Selection Park resident Kumari Ramiah says the online registration application process has failed her.
Ramiah says when the registration application process opened on May 2, she went to the district office of the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) in Springs to register her daughter who will be doing Grade One next year but after spending the whole day there, she was told the system had gone offline.
“I went back early in the morning on May 3 and eventually I got help and registered for two schools that were closer to Selection Park,” says Ramiah.
“When I was done, I went to one of the schools to submit all the required documents and was told by the school they would keep us updated once everything was captured.”
Ramiah says when schools reopened in July, she called the school and the district office where she was advised that nothing had been finalised as yet.
“I went again to the district office after hearing from a neighbour that her child had been placed in a school for next year.”
“They told me I should be patient because my daughter’s application was pending. I patiently waited until October 9 when I received a text message telling me to submit outstanding documents at the second school I had applied to.”
Ramiah says she was told at the district office that all notifications would be communicated to parents by October 20. To her surprise nothing has been sent through to her.
“It’s already November and I still don’t have a clue whether my child will be starting school or not.”
“What saddens me is that I was told there’s a possibility my child will be taken to a school in Brakpan seeing that chances of my child being accepted at the nearest schools are slim.”
Ramiah says she eventually escalated the issue to management who advised her to go back to the district office to find out the time frame of knowing when and where her child will be placed.
“When I recently went back to the district office I was told I needed to register again, which I did.
“Now I’m still waiting.”
“Until now I remain in darkness as to when I will receive feedback. Time is not our side seeing that we have neared year end.”
The GDE had failed to comment at the time of publishing.
