Parents search for late school placements

Angry Soweto parents who failed to register their children in time for the 2010 school year are now demanding seats at Noordgesig Primary School.

Parents have been queuing since 7am today, refusing to leave until their children are registered. Teachers say the registration period ended in October last year and that the school is full.

"Some rude parents threatened us when we asked why they came so late. They said they are here no, but the school is full," one teacher said.

Hundreds of parents and pupils, dressed in their full school uniform have lined up outside the administrative offices at the Doctor Mathole Motshekga primary school in Rabie Ridge east of Johannesburg - looking for late placements.Despite a bid by Gauteng MEC Barbara Creecy to ensure that effective learning takes place in schools today, this school is still frantically trying to finalise pupil registration as well as tending to general school cleanliness.

Doctor Mathole Motshekga's deputy priniciple Tsakane Tshidi told The Times: "We are flooded with parents who only registered their chidlren yesterday, and are awaiting confirmation and placement."

Tshidi added that some parents only arrived this morning to register their children.

But most worrying was that some parents had sent their children to school on their own, only to find that their placements had not been finalised. Those children were wandering around on their own, quite lost.

Earlier this morning chaos ensued at the school, which holds over 1500 children from grades one to seven, as children had to be checked into their various classes.

One teacher, who did not want to be named, said that the school experienced severe overcrowding with about 70 pupils per Grade 1 class, of which there are four.

However, there was still a lot of excitement as former Grade 1 pupils talked about being in Grade 2 this year, and no longer being the youngest of the school.