The new venue for Spark Schools Midrand leaves parents with a plethora of questions

Parents of learners from Spark Schools Midrand have expressed deep concern about the future of their children following the school’s relocation from Halfway House to Glen Austin.

According to the parents, the school is facing numerous issues that could have an adverse impact on their children.

The school informed the parents of the move in December 2022. However, according to parents ‘it failed to apply for the required registration with the Department of Basic Education (DBE) for its new location’.

The DBE registration is a crucial prerequisite for accreditation from Umalusi, which is necessary for operating as a private school in South Africa.

All independent schools must also be registered with their provincial DBE and comply with the department’s conditions for registration.

The parents, who asked to remain anonymous to protect their children’s identities, claim that the school is not accredited by Umalusi and is operating without the required DBE registration.

The parents also allege that the school’s EMIS (Education Management Information Systems) registration number with the DBE (Department of Basic Education) number is for the Halfway House premises, not the new Glen Austin location.

“We are troubled that the school’s new location was not approved and registered with the DBE before the move, and the necessary accreditation was not checked before the children were moved. We have repeatedly requested a registration certificate from the DBE and Umalusi accreditation, but the school has only provided the EMIS number, which is inadequate,” said the parents.

“To get the EMIS number with DBE you just register a business with CIPC (Companies And Intellectual Property Commission) and get premises then DBE comes to assess the premises and allows 12 months to get the Umalusi Accreditation.

“The new address was supposed to have been approved and registered before the move. This was to have been checked prior to these children being moved. They swept the accreditation under the carpet and now the DBE registration went unanswered for the new premises.”

Another parent said she had to take her child out of school early this year as the school could not give her the certificate with the DBE.

Additionally, the parents are also concerned about the school’s location, as it is opposite taverns, unnatural schooling hours, poor teaching, bullying, lack of fire exits, structural defects, and the list goes on.”

They insist that it is unacceptable for a school to operate without the required accreditation and registration, as it poses a risk to the safety and education of the children.

They are determined to ensure that their children receive a safe and high-quality education and are calling for urgent action to address the issues facing Spark Midrand.

Lead 2: Headline: SPARK and DBE response

In response to these allegations, Spark Schools Midrand principal Ntombi Nxumalo said the school is committed to operating in full compliance with all relevant regulations and requirements set forth by the Department of Basic Education (DBE).

“SPARK Midrand is registered with the DBE, and we operated with the EMIS number 700400902 from 2016 to 2023. With the recent move to a new site, we are in the process of updating the registration to reflect the new address,” Nxumalo explained.

“Accreditation is a requirement for General and Further Education and Training (Grades 10-12), but it is not necessarily a requirement for Primary Schools (Grade R-7). To this effect, Spark Midrand is affiliated with the Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa (ISASA) in line with our commitment to delivering high-quality education.”

ISASA states that all general and further education institutions that offer a South African curriculum must be accredited by ( the Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training (Umalusi).

The principal said the new premises were designed and built for educational purposes, offering modern facilities that provide additional space and ensure a comfortable and conducive atmosphere for academic and extracurricular activities.

“The premises have already received approval in terms of zoning and the building and site development plan have been approved.”

She added that the school takes the safety of its learners very seriously and they are committed to ensuring that the learners in their care are not only safe from harm but healthy in mind and body.

Nxumalo further explained that Spark Midrand has proactively engaged with various stakeholders to address not only the issue of the taverns but also other issues that concern the school and the community at large.

When it comes to school hours, Nxumalo said that the Spark School day begins at 07:45 and ends at 14:30 for Grades R-1, 15:00 for Grades 2-3 and 15:30 for Grades 4-7.

“SPARK uses a blended learning model which is a combination of direct classroom instruction and technology-based learning where data from each child is fed back to the teacher,” she added.

“This empowers teachers to cater to each child’s individual needs. The extended school day allows for all academic classes, as well as physical education and computer-based instruction in the innovative Learning Lab. Spark Midrand is committed to ensuring our scholars and their access to quality education comes first.”

The Gauteng Department of Education spokesperson Steve Mabona confirms that Spark Midrand is registered with the department and has a registration certificate.

“However, they relocated from the premises from which they are registered without following due process,” Mabona explained.

“It must be noted that there is provision for registered schools to apply for relocation of premises for as long as it is done within the stipulated time frames in Regulation 308. Accordingly, all accreditation questions can be responded to by Umalusi.”

Lead 3: Umalusi will not certify learners at unaccredited schools

The Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training (Umalusi) has decided not to issue certificates to learners who are enrolled at independent schools that are not accredited by Umalusi.

This decision is informed by the need for all independent schools to be accredited by Umalusi before they can offer qualifications that fall within Umalusi’s mandate.

The decision came into effect in January 2017 following a notice given by Umalusi to all unaccredited schools to apply for accreditation before October 31, 2016.

The requirements for the registration of independent schools as examination centres, Regulations 26A(1-4) Chapter 5, state that ‘in order for an independent school to be registered as an examination centre by either an accredited private assessment body or the state, such a school, besides being registered as a school, must also be accredited by Umalusi’.

From 2017 onwards, Umalusi certifies only the learners who sit and fulfil the requirements of the National Senior Certificate at accredited independent schools or independent schools that have made considerable progress in their application for accreditation with Umalusi.

According to the CEO of Umalusi, Dr Mafu Rakometsi, “part of Umalusi’s mandate is to ensure that learners attend schools that are recognised by law so that they can obtain credible qualifications from those institutions. We are doing this to protect unsuspecting learners and parents from unscrupulous people.”

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