Thousands of pupils not placed at schools

As schools reopen today, some parents are anxious about the placement of their children as they are among the many thousands who have not been placed at schools.

Provincial departments of education said a preference for suburban schools, late applications, migration and too few highs schools were among the reasons some pupils are yet to be placed.

Mpumalanga education MEC Cathy Dlamini said they had 7,924 unplaced grade 1 and 8 pupils. She said contributing factors were high demand for English medium schools, specially in the fastest growing towns as more parents migrate to find employment.

Yoliswa Khumalo is one of thousands of Mpumalanga parents waiting for her daughter to be placed.

“We applied early last year. My child is one of the best performing pupils at her primary school. I’m shocked and disappointed  my child was not accepted,” she said.

“I'm trying to get her a place as we speak but they said there's no space at [Hoërskool] Bergvlum. I'm wondering who they prefer. I'm disappointed the basic education department failed to build schools in town [Mbombela]. No school has been built since 1994, which is not right.”

The Free State has 7,034 pupils t awaiting placement, with 6,089 of those going to grade 8.

Parents who applied late for admission and those who rejected placement offers and insisted on specific school have been cited as some of the reasons.

In the North West, 915 grade 8 pupils were without schools.

“The reality of the matter is the department has fewer secondary schools than primary schools,” said basic education department spokesperson Mphata Molokwane.

He said some parents preferred English medium schools in the suburbs, and there were not many in the province.

“We have indicated to parents that English medium schools are limited in our province, so they should not overlook the schools that have been recommended for their children as our curriculum in the province is the same.”

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