Parents told don't take kids to school if your application is late

Late applications for places in Gauteng schools must be submitted to the district education offices to avoid disruptions at schools, the Gauteng education department said as schools reopened on Wednesday.

"Don't go to the school, it's going to disrupt schooling. Go to district offices," said the province's education spokesman Charles Phahlane.

Applications for places for 2012 took place between August 1 and September 30, but at the start of school this year parents who had moved or changed jobs were queuing for places.

"This is a concern for us," he said.

Twelve out of 13 new schools opened as planned on Wednesday with the opening of the 13th, in Bronkhorstspruit, delayed by rain damage, he said.

The re-opening of some public schools in Soweto on Wednesday was characterised by fewer late registrations, said teachers.

"We have had very few late registrations this year compared to the other years," said Sizakele Dube, principal of the Khuthala Primary School in Protea North.

It had registered 427 pupils by the time the administration side of the school opened on Monday.

Those parents and guardians trying to register pupils on Wednesday had encountered unforeseen circumstances such as a sudden move of house or the death of parent who lived with the children outside the township.

At Rebone Primary School, in Naledi, most children had been registered in September, said teacher Lizzy Mogami. It had registered 424 children by Wednesday.

Only a few had simply arrived at the school on Wednesday, she said.

By 10am on Wednesday, pupils at Khuthala Primary School were still settling into their classes, but had not received textbooks.

"Textbooks are still outstanding, but it is a very small percentage," Dube said.

Democratic Alliance Gauteng MPL and education spokesman Khume Ramulifho said he was pleased with the state of school readiness in the province.

However, Emadwaleni secondary school in Orlando West was not ready to start because of renovations which were supposed to have been done over the holidays.

Selelekela Secondary School was battling after six computers were stolen from the administrative block in December.

The DA in Limpopo said many schools had started the year without textbooks for Grades One, Two, Three and 10.

DA Limpopo leader Desiree van der Walt said: "It's a big mess. Many schools have no books."

Limpopo's education department was placed under administration late last year, but its order for textbooks should have been in by then.

"There is nothing, nothing. What are our members to do when there are no books?" asked the SA Democratic Teachers' Union's Limpopo chairman Ronald Moroatshela.

He had been assured last week that the books would come on the first day.

The first day in Mpumalanga went "very fine", said its education department spokesman Jasper Zwane.

"Teachers and learners are back at school and teaching started at almost all schools," he said.

All support materials had been delivered and about 2000 temporary teachers had been made permanent.

Storm damaged schools had been fixed and mobile classrooms provided where required.

Two new no fee boarding schools, to accommodate children previously at farm schools, had also been opened.

Zwane disputed the DA's claims that textbooks had not arrived.

"We don't have a problem of textbooks," he said.

Like other provinces, it was trying to accommodate late applicants.

"Their parents relocated or they didn't get feedback from schools [last year]."

The Free State said it would provide an update later.