Parents protest at Hoërskool Akasia over admissions dispute

An admission dispute at Hoërskool Akasia, north of Pretoria, has sparked a week-long protest.

Protesting parents are camping outside the school premises, and allege unfair learner placements, lack of transparency, and possible interference in the admissions process by school management.

Frustrated parents mentioned they have repeatedly approached the school seeking placement for their children, only to be told that there is no space available.

This is despite many of them living within one to two kilometres of the school, which they believe should prioritise learners from the immediate feeder-zone community.

The protest comes at a critical time in the academic calendar, with the first term almost halfway through.

“We have been coming here looking for space and they say there’s no space for our children, yet we live less than two kilometres away.

“There are children coming in buses, they are coming from Mabopane and Soshanguve, and they are placed here,” said Rapulane Leope.

Parents further accused teachers and school management of interfering in the placement process by allegedly keeping spaces for relatives and friends.

They claim this has resulted in learners from outside the feeder area being admitted ahead of local children.

Tensions have been heightened by what parents describe as shifting explanations from the school.

“We are being told stories every day. They told us they were going to do a head count, but when we are here to get feedback, they said we are not allowed to get into the school. We are having problems.”

Parents mentioned that several children are still without confirmed placements and are missing out on valuable learning time, raising concerns about the long-term impact on their education.

“No child should be sitting at home while schools are operating. It’s almost halfway through the term and our children are falling behind because of administrative issues,” said Palesa Monareng, another parent.

The EFF Educational Desk’s Prince Shabangu said the school must be transparent in the admissions process.

“The school is overwhelmed with people who are not residing here. It’s unfair that you move from Soshanguve to here and your child is placed somewhere else.

“It doesn’t make sense that when the system opened, the department placed children at a railway school in The Orchards, but their parents never applied there,” said Shabangu.

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The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) said that while the allegations had not been formally reported to the department, it views claims of corruption in a serious light and does not hesitate to act when such allegations are proven to be true.

GDE spokesperson Steve Mabona explained that admissions for grades 1 and 8 are processed through the provincial online admissions system in line with admission regulations.

Learners are placed according to admission criteria and ranking on the placement list.

“Accordingly, the district intervenes when objections are lodged, and parents can also lodge an appeal with the office of the MEC for intervention,” said Mabona.

He added that admissions for middle grades are handled at school level, with placements done chronologically based on waiting lists and the availability of spaces in inner grades.

Mabona further outlined the objection and appeal process available to parents.

“Parents or guardians who receive transfer placement offers have seven days to accept or decline. If a placement is declined, an objection may be submitted within seven days of receiving the offer.

“These objections are investigated and adjudicated in line with regulated admissions criteria, with outcomes provided within 14 days,” he said.

He said parents who are dissatisfied with the objection outcome may submit an appeal online within seven days.

Appeals serve as a second process of investigation and adjudication, with outcomes also issued within 14 days.

Mabona noted that appeal outcomes are final and that no alternative placement will be offered after placement in terms of the appeal decision.

While the department did not confirm whether the official feeder-zone policy was breached at Hoërskool Akasia, it emphasised that all objections and appeals are assessed in line with regulated admissions criteria to ensure fairness.

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