Dept commits to help parents unhappy with online registration
The department of education has opened an admission walk-in centre at the Mamelodi Teachers Centre to assist parents.
The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has advised parents seeking admission to grades 1 and 8 for their children to go to the Mamelodi Teacher Centre for assistance.
A group of parents, the majority from Mamelodi, were forced to stand in long queues to register their children recently.
The queues were filled with frustrated parents who were calling for the immediate scrapping of the Gauteng online admission system.
GDE spokesperson Steve Mabona said the department had opened an admission walk-in centre at the Mamelodi Teachers Centre to assist parents.
Mabona said the centre had helped 776 parents already.
According to him, it was observed that some parents purchased uniforms and paid school fees, even though their child had not been admitted by their preferred school.
Mabona said it must be noted that no parent leaves the walk-in centre without receiving assistance and that the centre will continue to operate until all learners are placed accordingly.
Parents acknowledged to Rekord that they preferred the walk-in registration at their school of choice.
One parent, Ernest Shirinda, claimed that Gauteng online registration is “useless” and that the Department of Education should return to the old system of registering children at the local school.
He said every year was a nightmare, especially having to visit the Mamelodi Teachers’ Centre.
Shirinda said they have been coming to the centre since Monday had not received any help.
“If it were not for the online registration system, my child would have found a school by now, but instead she is at home waiting for me to find a school for her.”
He said he applied in September for his daughter, like any other person, but the system was not working for him.
Another parent Donald Mangwane said, “Our government is failing us. I thought education came first in this country. Why should our children suffer to find space in Mamelodi schools?”
He said he also preferred to walk to the school of his choice and register his child there personally.
“If it were not for the online registration system, my child would have found a school by now.
“It is so sad to see other children going to school and receiving stationery, but mine is at home doing nothing,” he said.
Other parents said, “We still need to buy the school uniform but are spending money to come here every day.”
Kosabo Dube of uMkhonto weSizwe said this was the third time he was in this situation.
“In 2023, we advised the district to get volunteers to help the parents with the registration.
“We also pleaded with the district to get mobile toilets for the parents to relieve themselves because they are here the whole day.”
📞 𝗚𝗗𝗘 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀
From 11 to 30 January 2025, the GDE Contact Centre will assist with all #2025OnlineAdmissionsGP queries.
📲 Contact us:
☎️ Call: 0800 000 789
💬 WhatsApp: 060 891 0361
✉️ Email: gdeinfo@gauteng.gov.za /… pic.twitter.com/KMw2bWZdFk— Gauteng Department of Education (@EducationGP1) January 16, 2025
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