Parliamentary constituency office (PCO) delegates heard how overcrowding continues to batter schools in Alexandra, forcing them to accommodate thousands of children in one of the country’s most densely populated township with severely limited infrastructure.

Read more: Minerva Secondary School principal aims to sustain historic 97% matric pass rate

One of the schools affected by overcrowding is Gordon Primary. Principal Malunga MJM, as he prefers to be called, told PCO delegates during a visit on Thursday that although the school has no infrastructure-related challenges, overcrowding has become a pressing challenge.

“The challenge is of space. More so, that the policy says we must admit learners without documentation. That is the biggest challenge we have.”

Malunga stressed that it remains a pressing concern that while some learners have not yet been placed, others without documents have already been admitted.

Deputy Minister for Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities Mmapaseka Steve Letsike noted the school’s issues. She also emphasised that overcrowding is not unique to Gordon Primary, affecting many schools in the country.

As it stands, 2 763 Grade 1 and Grade 8 learners remain unplaced in the province, according to the Gauteng department of education. The department reassured parents that all qualifying learners will be accommodated in public schools, but capacity constraints remain a major obstacle. “This means not all learners can be placed at their preferred schools immediately. Despite this, the department is working diligently to identify available spaces and ensure that every learner is placed as fairly and efficiently as possible,” the department noted.

Also read: Deputy minister leads school readiness oversight visit to Ekukhanyisweni Primary

The ongoing school placement challenges in Gauteng have fuelled widespread concerns and allegations that foreign nationals are being admitted to public schools ahead of South African learners. Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane has directly addressed these growing claims, firmly rejecting them as misleading and unfounded. “We wish to reiterate that the department does not have a directive that instructs schools or officials to prioritise foreign nationals during learner placement. On the contrary, South African learners are prioritised in line with applicable legislation, as well as the department’s admission and placement processes.”

He explained that no school is permitted to prioritise foreign national learners over South African learners. He warned that any school found to be contravening admissions policies will be subjected to consequence management. “We will not tolerate any claims that suggest foreign nationals are prioritised at the expense of South African nationals.”

Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok for the latest updates!