Parents demand illegal school in Nellmapius to be shut down

The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has advised parents and community members to always demand Education Management Information System (EMIS) letters from schools when seeking admission to independent schools to ascertain that these are legitimate.

An EMIS letter is proof that a school has been registered with the department.

This follows after the Nellmapius community demanded that the Department of Education shut down the independent Saint Ignatius College, believed to be operating from an RDP house in Nellmapius Extension 7.

The school started operating earlier this year with seven classrooms and offers classes from Grade R to 11.

School fees are paid according to the different grades, while different grades share classrooms. The classrooms are allegedly overcrowded with too many learners in one classroom.

GDE spokesperson Steve Mabona said the department can confirm that the school is not on the database of registered independent schools and therefore is operating illegally.

“No person may establish or maintain an independent school unless it is registered by the head of department. Any person who contravenes subsection (I) is guilty of an offence and, upon conviction, liable to a fine or imprisonment for a period of three months,” said Mabona.

Mabona said a school must make an application a year prior to starting operations and comply with all registration requirements and documents, such as zoning certificates, health certificates, and others.

He went on to explain that after thorough assessments, the department issues a school with an EMIS certificate that entails the name of the school, its address, and an EMIS number.

“If a school does not have an EMIS certificate that corresponds with the address where the school is situated, then parents must know that it is an illegally operating school.”

Resident Shirley (who only wanted to be identified by her name) said Saint Ignatius is a bogus school, a fact which is hidden from the community of Nellmapius.

“Our government is failing us; they should have informed the community because the school was operating from rented backyard rooms in an RDP house.

“We don’t want underground schools operating within our community,” she said.

Councillor Joel Masilela said he was not aware of the school. until he was informed about it on Monday.

“We can’t have an institution of primary education run in an area zoned primarily for residential [properties].

“We understand people want private institutions, but there are laws that need to be followed,” said Masilela.

“We understand community members build rooms for additional incomes and are glad that the community acted peacefully in this matter and no child was threatened,” he said.

Mabona emphasised that if a school is operating in a residential home with no compliance documents approved by their respective municipality and does not have an EMIS certificate that corresponds with the address where it is located, then the school is illegal.

“Anyone who aspires to start a private school needs to apply to the provincial department of education’s independent schools directorate for the head of department’s approval before he or she can operate,” Mabona said.

“He or she must complete and submit their application forms and the checklist attached to Regulation 308 from January 1 to April 1 of each year. Regulation 308 clearly stipulates the entire process of registration and is available on request,” he added.

“These schools make it difficult for the department to account for the education of learners; sometimes parents insist on taking their children to these schools despite efforts to educate them differently.”

He also said the department is working tirelessly to tighten the administration of the admissions process to accommodate all learners in Gauteng.

“Our advocacy for admissions will always cover information about illegally operating schools. There is consideration for more advocacy for illegally operating schools.”

“We have started a campaign called Operation Vala to identify and close all illegal independent schools, incubate learners, and place them in schools,” he concluded.

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