WATCH: Parents in long queue say it’s ‘bull***t’ after Gauteng online registration system ‘fails’
Parents, some of whom queued since 2am, say the system has failed them and are worried about their children missing school while placement issues are resolved.
Parents can be seen queuing outside the Mamelodi Teacher’s Centre, some of them having arrived as early as 2am, after the online registration system failed, 15 January 2020, Pretoria. Picture: Jacques Nelles
A massive line of parents could be seen queuing outside the Mamelodi Teachers’ Centre in Tshwane on Wednesday morning in a bid to resolve their problems regarding school placement.
Many parents had arrived early in the morning, before it was light, with some telling The Citizen they had been there since 2am.
A group of angry mothers complained that they were “supposed to be at work” but had been “standing in the sun” all morning.
“It’s b**lshit!” one mother complained.
While parents were queuing at the centre, which functions as a district office for the Gauteng department of education (GDE), for a range of reasons, many expressed dissatisfaction with the online registration system, saying it had failed them.
Some are worried about their children missing school while placement issues are resolved.
Parents can be seen queuing outside the Mamelodi Teacher’s Centre, some of them having arrived as early as 2am, after the online registration system failed, January 15 2020, Pretoria. Picture: Jacques Nelles
Some parents say they have been trying to resolve issues with the online registration system since the middle of last year.
Issues include that parents did not receive a response from the department to their online registration; that children have been placed at the wrong schools, some of which are too far from home to arrange transport for; that parents did not know they had to reapply now that their children were going into a new grade; that despite applying in time, children were not placed; or that parents had moved and had been unable to place their children at a new school.
Some parents were simply there to file late applications.
Spokesperson for the GDE Steve Mabona had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication. However, education MEC Panyaza Lesufi said yesterday they would have all the outstanding issues resolved within 10 days and apologised for any inconvenience families were experiencing.
He said tests and exams would not take place until placements were sorted out.
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- Parents can be seen queuing outside the Mamelodi Teacher’s Centre, some of them having arrived as early as 2am,after the online registration system failed, 15 January 2020, Pretoria. Picture: Jacques Nelles
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- Parents can be seen queuing outside the Mamelodi Teacher’s Centre, some of them having arrived as early as 2am,after the online registration system failed, 15 January 2020, Pretoria. Picture: Jacques Nelles
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- Parents can be seen queuing outside the Mamelodi Teacher’s Centre, some of them having arrived as early as 2am,after the online registration system failed, 15 January 2020, Pretoria. Picture: Jacques Nelles
(Compiled by Daniel Friedman. Pictures by Jacques Nelles)
Thousands of parents are queueing outside the education district office in Mamelodi. Most want @EducationGP to scrap the online application process. "We applied on time last year but our children are still not placed in schools." @TheCitizen_News #backtoschool2020 @Lesufi pic.twitter.com/I4Hbj2bhfI
— Rorisang Kgosana (@therealrorisang) January 15, 2020
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