Midnight deadline looms for registration of grade 1 and 8 pupils in Gauteng

12 June 2017 - 18:30 By Shenaaz Jamal
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Most of South Africa's children are not doing well in mathematics and science.
Most of South Africa's children are not doing well in mathematics and science.
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Gauteng parents have until midnight on Monday to register their children for grades 1 and 8 for the 2018 school year.

The department of education on Monday afternoon said it has noted a “significant” increase in the number of applications during the last week of the application period.

It has to date received 269‚676 applications – 147‚779 for Grade 1 and 121‚897 for Grade 8.

Applications for 2018 are‚ according to the department‚ 59‚921 more than those it received for 2017.The current capacity is 342‚610.

“The Department hereby reminds parents of the closing date of the application period and advise them to go to the nearest school‚ or apply online by midnight today‚” the department's spokesperson‚ Oupa Bodibe‚ said.

“We call on parents who have not yet applied to do everything necessary to submit their applications before the midnight deadline‚” Bodibe added.

“Between now and the placement period‚ schools will submit their lists to districts for verification and approval. The placement period commences on 24 July 2017. Once parents receive an offer of placement‚ they are advised to accept or reject the offer. If parents do not respond‚ the offer will be given to other parents in the queue‚” Bodibe said.

He said the department will continue to monitor schools with low application numbers as perceptions vary from poor quality of education‚ to schools situated in rural / township or distant areas where the uptake among parents is slow.

“As part of the celebrations to commemorate Youth Month‚ an admissions exhibition has been set up at NASREC Exhibition Centre‚

“Parents of learners who have not yet applied for 2018 admissions are invited to make their applications at the Centre.” he said.

According to statistics provided by the department‚ the largest number of applications came from the Johannesburg region where 102‚419 applications were received.

The SediWes region has recorded the lowest number of applications.

Boksburg High School and Hoërskool Akasia have been noted as the two most popular schools in the province‚ having each received 1‚525 applications.

- TimesLIVE

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