GDE responds to placement protests at Sir Pierre van Ryneveld High
Parents raise concerns over lack of space for 2026, as education department clarifies middle-grade admissions process.
The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has responded to concerns raised by parents about learner placement at Sir Pierre van Ryneveld High School, following protests at the school on January 28 and 29 over a lack of space for the 2026 academic year.
GDE spokesperson Steve Mabona said while the department assists with placement across all grades, the department only processes grades one and eight admissions through the online system. Placement for middle grades depends on the available space and school capacity.
In the February 5 edition of the Kempton Express, we reported that frustrated parents gathered at Sir Pierre van Ryneveld High School on January 28 and 29, seeking clarity after being repeatedly turned away while trying to secure placement for their children for the 2026 academic year.
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Parents said they have been sent from pillar to post since last year, often being asked to return without receiving an answer on whether space is available. Many expressed fear and anxiety, saying their children currently have no confirmed school placement for 2026.
“For middle grades, parents must apply to more than one school. After the 10th day of school, once the school has established the number of available spaces, they place learners chronologically according to the waiting list, depending on available space,” he said.
Mabona said for middle grades after the 10th day of Term 1 Sir Pierre van Ryneveld High School had the following entrolments:
• Grade 8: 350 learners
• Grade 9: 350 learners
• Grade 10: 430 learners
• Grade 11: 390 learners
• Grade 12: 341 learners
On January 28, Pontsho Matshaba, the mother of a Grade 10 learner, said she was devastated by the possibility that her son may not attend school this year, despite being told previously that space was available.
“I came to the school on December 3 last year to register my son. I filled in the waiting list register and asked if there was space for Grade 10, and I was told there was,” she said.
“I kept coming back to check if they accepted my son, and I was always told there was space. Now they are telling me there is no space. My son is at home, not doing anything, and it hurts me to see him not going to school.”
Sir Pierre van Ryneveld High School principal Jeanette Mangali addressed parents on January 29, explaining that they had already allocated all available space.
“I have already taken 30 learners from the waiting list – the first 10, the second 10 and the third 10,” Mangali said.
She explained that the remaining available spaces were reserved for learners from private schools, subject to verification.
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“Learners from schools that do not offer English and Afrikaans will not be considered. For learners from private schools, we must first confirm that their reports are legitimate, as we have previously experienced cases of fraudulent reports,” she said.
Mangali added that the only possibility for further admissions would be if a learner who had already been offered a place decided not to enrol.
“There is always a closing date for registrations, and some parents may have applied after the closing date,” she said.
