Parents leave little kids at classroom door

Desperate parents resorted to dumping young children at Jan Kotlolo Primary School in Nellmapius, near Mamelodi, yesterday.

The parents left children of barely six years old at the administration block of the school, having failed to register them for Grade R.

Other parents took children who had not been registered straight to classes, creating a problem for teachers preparing pupils for the school year.

School principal Sylvester Sibanyoni said: "This is a disturbing problem we encounter every year and it places us in a difficult situation of having to drive around the township to locate these children's homes and parents.

"The parents leave them here hoping we will register them, but we cannot because we are full."

Sibanyoni said he could not understand why some parents were so irresponsible with their children's future and safety.

Jan Kotlolo Primary has only one Grade R class, which accommodates 30 pupils, but the number has been stretched to 35.

Moses Mampye, principal of Vukauzenzele Primary School on the outskirts of Nellmapius, said it had the same problem in the past.

"It is a very common and worrying trend, where parents just dump their children on our doorstep and walk away," he said.

Gauteng education spokesman Charles Phahlane said this amounted to child neglect.

"You cannot leave your child unattended and hope for the best. It is totally irresponsible," he said.

Vukauzenzele Primary has three classes, of 30 pupils, for each grade. Mampye said all places had been taken by September 30 last year, the cut-off date for registration.

By noon yesterday, there were 64 children across all grades on its waiting list, which would be sent to district offices so they could be placed at other schools.

Scores of parents were told to come back to the schools today, following a meeting of the Tshwane South education district officials yesterday afternoon.

Chief education specialist in the Tshwane South district David Mogoane said the influx of late registrations was not "something we cannot manage".

"It is not a crisis and that is why we are meeting the principals to see how we can sort out the problem," he said.

The Gauteng Education Department said there had been more than 3000 late registrations in the province.