Online registrations: ‘We waited since midnight’
The online registrations left parents frustrated, but by Wednesday morning the online platform was working.
Despite the online registration platform constantly failing, Krugersdorp parents still took to local schools at the break of dawn yesterday morning (19 April) to register their children for Grade 1 and 8 for 2017.
A group of mothers even set up camp outside Monument High School at midnight before the school opened for registrations.
The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has set up a mandatory online application system, which initially was set to go live a week before, but it once again failed after it was set to go live at 8am on 19 April. By 2pm, GDE MEC Panyaza Lesufi announced the online process was finally ready for parents to use.
Throughout Tuesday morning, Lesufi updated parents through his Twitter account.
Dear Parents, we removed some faults to the system at16h30. Now we can register 234 new parents per 5 minutes. We now have 5675 successful
— Panyaza Lesufi (@Lesufi) April 19, 2016
He even gave out his email address on Twitter and radio so parents who were still struggling to register, could approach him.
Panyaza.lesufi@gauteng.gov.za https://t.co/twBqhPycX3
— Panyaza Lesufi (@Lesufi) April 20, 2016
Meanwhile, parents were already lined up at various schools across the province. Schools were instructed to help parents with the online application and the school’s own hard copy registration form.
Jenny Eich, Marelize Thwaits and Lee-Ann Smith stood first in the long line of parents who wants their children to attend Monument High School next year. Dawie de Villiers was the second to arrive, joining them at 4am.
“We were very impressed at the open day and want our children to experience the traditions and values this school offers,” Jenny said.
Parents said that last year the queue started lining up at 3am and they were intending on being first this year.
The school’s public relations and marketing officer, Eben Vermaas, said that because there is limited space for especially English speaking pupils, parents rush to register each year.
“We saw over 500 prospective Grade 8s at the open day this year, so we were expecting a queue. We prepared seats, gazebos and coffee for the parents this morning,” he said.
Vermaas said parents were able to fill in the school’s registrations and that laptops were set up to help parents register online as well.
But by 8am, some parents were asked to go home by district officials when they realised the online system was not working.
At Hoërskool Noordheuwel, parents were given a hard copy registration form, but were also advised that they needed to register online first.
“After you register online, you are given a reference number that needs to filled in on the hard copy,” the school’s Sonet Guy explained.
By Wednesday morning, 80 000 online registrations were already successful. Lesufi said that by 10am, the 100 000 mark would be reached.
Parents have until 1 June to register their children online at www.gdeadmissions.gov.za.
The take off was very bumpy but that we are airborne we can fly smoothly. Thank you so much for the support https://t.co/6TWE1fOqYw
— Panyaza Lesufi (@Lesufi) April 20, 2016
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