Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga is under fire once again as schools reopened on Wednesday, with parents complaining of multiple online application system issues and than 1,300 children in Gauteng still waiting to be placed.
As inland schools re-opened on 11 January, more than 1,300 pupils remained at home as the Department of Education had yet to place them in schools in the province. Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga has pleaded for patience from parents.
Motshekga said the education MEC in the province, Matome Chiloane, promised that the placement backlog will be resolved within 10 days.
“So, we are saying in 10 days we will have done the best we could. He is finding spaces in churches, he is finding spaces in old schools. They are even going to open a closed college. We are doing everything to assist parents,” Motshekga said.
Motshekga was speaking in Diepsloot, having planned to visit four schools in the province including Cosmo City primary and secondary schools, Diepsloot Primary and Sunrise Secondary School.
Motshekga acknowledged that placement shortages and overcrowding in schools were annual problems. She said the issues will be resolved through ongoing engagement with Chiloane and other key education figures.
Ahead of schools opening during the 2022 academic year, the provincial department scrambled to find places for an excess 1,465 learners. The number dropped slightly to 1,394 unplaced learners for the start of this year.
Motshekga said almost 100% of grade 1 and grade 8 pupils had been placed.
Spate of complaints
The 2023 academic year has been marred by numerous complaints regarding the inefficiency of the online application system. According to the department’s provincial officials, 1,394 primary and high school pupils are yet to be placed.
Upon encountering difficulties with the online application system, some parents said they were advised to go to their local education district offices to ask for help. However, upon arrival, they were given vague referrals to approach alternative district offices in their province.
“When I asked why I was being turned away, I was told that the district I was referred to was the one where my child got a place, not one aligned to the school where I applied to. As parents, not all of us know the procedure and the department must take it upon itself to educate communities, especially with the complications presented by the online application system,” Nonhlanhla Mkhize, a parent from Soweto said.
A small number of parents said they successfully ...