As schools open, thousands of pupils don't have a classroom to go to

As government schools open for the new academic year in the five inland provinces on Wednesday, it has emerged that 5,201 pupils in three of them are yet to be placed.

The Mpumalanga education department is scrambling to accommodate 3,349 learners, including 2,095 who desperately need places at schools in Secunda.

Gauteng needs to place 1,394 pupils while Limpopo is trying to find schools for 458 in Polokwane.

The Free State and North West education departments did not provide figures.

However, all five provinces confirmed that it was all systems go for the start of the new year. 

The Free State’s head of education, Tsoarelo Malakoane, told schools in a circular that  teaching and learning should start on the day of reopening.

“All school-based posts should be filled and no class should be without a teacher. Every class has a timetable that adheres to the instructional time per subject.”

He said school managers must ensure that sound administration and management processes are followed.

“An analysis of November/December 2022 learner results must be completed for all grades and subjects and there must be planning and monitoring of curriculum coverage.”

Limpopo education department spokesperson Mike Maringa said they managed to deliver stationery to all the schools in 2022 and successfully retrieved textbooks in December.

“We are placing learners who are yet to find spaces for the academic year.”

Mpumalanga education department spokesperson Jasper Zwane said plans were in place to make sure the 203 school days “are used to enhance teaching and learning in the province”.

He said each district has an admission team which will work with parents to accelerate all outstanding cases of admission.

“The department has directed that the admission of learners must be concluded within 10 days after the reopening of schools.”

He said 32,985 teachers will be employed at schools and that 234 temporary teachers were given permanent posts.

“The department delivered learner-teaching support material [LTSM] to all schools in November. The material  was trimmed to ensure that each subject was catered for and there is no unnecessary waste.”

A total of 920,110 learners in the province will benefit from the school feeding scheme.

“Contractors have been appointed and are on site to fix some of the schools which were damaged by storms late last year. The department has placed orders for 152 mobile classrooms that will be distributed to schools to alleviate overcrowding.”

North West education department spokesperson Elias Malindi told TimesLIVE that some schools in Potchefstroom, Mahikeng, Brits and Rustenburg were in high demand.

“We are working with the schools to ensure that all learners are accommodated. The problem is not that there are no available schools but parents who insist on their children attending a particular school.”

Malindi said they did not expect any teacher shortages as they had to still place teacher graduates who were recipients of the government’s Funza Lushaka bursary scheme.

Meanwhile, Gauteng education MEC Matome Chiloane said the department had allocated funds to 108 high-pressure schools for 408 self-built classrooms in January last year to address the admissions pressure and overcrowding.

At the end of last year, funds were transferred to 297 schools to build an additional 878 classrooms.

Four new schools in the province are also scheduled to open in 2023 — three secondary schools and one primary school.

Teachers whose services are no longer required at their school will be placed at other schools by March. “All remaining vacant posts will be filled temporarily from January until December.”

Meanwhile, Nndi Madzena, chair of the National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa in Gauteng, said many learners from areas bordering Mpumalanga and North West were seeking admission.

“It’s a serious challenge. Parents choose the best-performing schools so these have a high demand for enrolment.”

He said the department must employ new teachers from the beginning of the year and not wait for the new financial year starting in April.

On Wednesday, basic education minister Angie Motshekga is scheduled to visit four schools in Cosmo City and Diepsloot in Gauteng while her deputy, Reginah Mhaule, will monitor four schools in Mokopane, Limpopo.

Coastal schools will open next Wednesday.

TimesLIVE

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