Thousands of Grade 1s, Grade 8s still waiting to be placed in Gauteng’s schools

MEC for Education in Gauteng, Panyaza Lesufi, says more than 40 000 school children are still waiting to be placed in schools for the 2021 academic year, The Citizen reports.

Lesufi hosted a press conference on Sunday to provide an update on the schools admission process.

“During this admissions application period, the Department received a total of 222 275 unique applications, said Lesufi, explaining that 105 326 of these were for Grade 1s and 116 949 for Grade 8s.

“A total of 88 503 Grade 1 applicants and 92 616 Grade 8 applicants are placed.”

This means 18 823 grade 1s and 24 333 grade 8s still don’t know where they will be starting the new school year.

“Currently 280 schools (144 primary schools and 136 high schools) have reached full capacity and cannot accommodate any more placements,” said Lesufi.

The high-pressure areas include Benoni, Alberton Johannesburg South, Lenasia, Roodepoort, Bryanston, Midrand, Centurion, and Akasia.

Lesufi explained the placement criteria used by the Department, saying priority is given to applicants who live within the school feeder zone closest to the school.

“The second priority is siblings and applicants that are currently in Grade 7 at a neighbouring school.”

Applicants of parents who work close to the school are placed only if the school has space available after accommodating applicants within the school feeder zone.

“Finally, applicants who live within 30 kms of the school and beyond 30 kms of the school are accommodated last,” he said.

He said where possible, pupils were transferred to schools that can accommodate them.

“The unplaced applicants and including those that have been transferred and accepted will on Monday, 7 December 2020 be given an opportunity to choose their preferred schools from a list with available spaces,” he said.

Objections will be processed from 7 December 2020.

Lesufi said parents who decline placement offers will be afforded an opportunity to submit an objection within seven days of receiving an offer.

In addition: “The system will from 16 December to 21 December 2020 open for the 33 460 applicants who did not submit documents during the application period.”

The online admissions system is scheduled to open for late applications on 22 December 2020 and close on 22 January 2021.

Lesufi welcomed the progress that has been made in placing school children.

“Taking in cognisance that this was done under the strain of the Covid-19 Pandemic and overwhelming challenges, this is a proud moment.”