Enrol your child now
Residents stood in queues at various schools since the early hours of Monday to ensure that their children's registrations for the next school year were finalised.
POLOKWANE – Residents stood in queues at various schools since the early hours of Monday to ensure that their children’s registrations for the next school year were finalised.
Some parents at Polokwane Comprehensive School and Pemps said they had been queueing since Saturday and sleeping in front of the school to make sure that their children’s registrations were secured. At the beginning of the school year, the education department had their hands full with thousands of learners who had to be turned away when schools were filled to capacity. Some schools had to turn as many as 800 learners away as there was not enough space. Extra classes were created in some schools to make space for the children who had to be placed.
According to the department of education’s website, parents are free to choose whether to register their child at a public school or at an independent school. Public schools are state controlled and independent schools are privately governed. Independent schools must be registered with the provincial education department. Public schools must be established by the education MEC in the province.
Parents should check with the education department if the school is registered before they make any registrations or payments.
No school may treat a child unfairly and no public school may require a child to write an admission test, or prevent the child from coming to school because the parents have not paid or cannot pay school fees.
The registration procedure includes:
•Apply a year before at a school near you or at a school of your choice (between 1 August and 31 October).
•To register, the following documents are compulsory: application form from the school, official birth certificate of the child and immunisation card of the child.
• If you are moving your child from one school to another, submit latest school report and a transfer card.
• If your child is not a South African citizen, include the following documents: study permit, temporary or permanent residence permit or proof that you have applied for permission to stay in South Africa.
School fees will vary from school to school. If you cannot afford to pay, you must make arrangements with the school. Although a school cannot refuse a learner admission, they can take legal action against you for failure to pay any outstanding school fees.
Learners can still be enrolled at schools for the 2016 school year until October 31.
