Schools in inland provinces are now open for 2023, these include the Free State, Gauteng, North West, Limpopo and Mpumalanga. However, the Department of Basic Education in Gauteng currently has its hands full, as disgruntled parents whose children have not been placed are demanding that they be placed.
Despite having had a phased-out online application system, the GDE has encountered a series of challenges in its Online Admissions placements for Grades 1 and Grade 8.
According to the department, the province initially had 292 145 completed applications, out of which a total of 290 000 learners were successfully placed.
As pointed out by the Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane, incomplete submission of supporting documents and a high influx of learner migration from other provinces, are some of the reasons that some learners have not been placed.
Some of the aggrieved Gauteng parents have said that the online application system has been ineffective. Some say that despite having appealed their declined online applications, they have been told that their preferred schools are already at full capacity. As result, their children have been placed in schools that are far from their place of residence.
Even though the placement of their children has been assured to parents, the department has stated on its website that only schools with openings are accepting late applications. Online applications and immediate document uploads will be available for parents.
The department has further stated that from 11 January to 31 January 2023, documents that can not be submitted can be sent by hand to schools.
Parents are also reminded that each parent may only apply to one school. The learner will then be put into the school they applied to automatically.
