Poor pupils in Gauteng who were forced to attend government-subsidised private schools because they could not find a place at public schools fear being left out in the cold again.
The Gauteng Joint Liaison Committee and the Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa (Isasa) have accused the provincial education department of treating private school pupils as “second-class” citizens because of the “discriminatory” grade 8 application process.
Their bone of contention is that grade 7 pupils in private schools were excluded from applying for a place in grade 8 next year when registrations opened on August 10 for all grade 7s attending public schools.
Private school pupils could only apply from September 13. Parents said this week the late opening of grade 8 registrations for private school pupils prejudiced their chances of finding a place for their child at a public school of their choice.
The department is subsidising 231 private schools in the province. In a scathing letter to Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi, committee chairperson Kgethi Dlamini said the department’s decision “is prejudicial and does not offer equal opportunities for admission to all current grade 7 pupils in the province”.
She said parents and grade 7 pupils were “very anxious and worried” about securing a place at a public high school in the province next year.
Dlamini, principal at Kingsway Christian School in Randpark Ridge, informed Lesufi that private schools, including hers, that were heavily subsidised by his department, catered for the most marginalised communities.
“They will be most negatively affected by this decision. They enrolled at independent schools because they had no other choice as public schools were full.”
She told Lesufi: “The decision to let them apply only in the second phase of the applications disadvantages them further.”
In a letter to basic education minister Angie Motshekga, Dlamini said there was no formal communication to high schools by the Gauteng education department to “reserve spaces” for private school children who started applying from September 13.
“This means that they are left out in the cold to fend for themselves and their right to choose a proper high school has been taken away.”
Dlamini told Sunday Times Daily the provincial education department was subsidising the 214 pupils at her school to the tune of R2m this year.
“At least 80% of our pupils are coming from the Zandspruit informal settlement and 90% of parents are collecting a child support grant.”
A total of 27 of the 29 grade 7 pupils were looking to enroll at public schools in grade 8 next year, while the remaining two were awarded full bursaries to study at private schools
The annual school fees are R3,100.
Nontombi Lukhele, a parent of a pupil attending grade 7 at the school, said when she applied online she was only given the option of one school, Far North Secondary in Cosmo City, Roodepoort, but that there was a note in red stating the school “has reached capacity”.
“Parents applying in phase 1 had a choice of several schools, including Rand Park High, North Riding High and Cosmos Secondary 1. Ideally, I would have loved to enroll my son at Rand Park High.
“I have lost hope that he will be accepted at a public school next year. My child attends a school subsidised by government. It’s their school but they are treating it as if it is an upmarket private school.”
Another frustrated parent, Slungile Sibiya, said the online system also gave her just one option, Far North Secondary.
Isasa executive director Lebogang Montjane said it was “highly likely” that the department’s conduct in having two phases for grade 8 registrations would be deemed to be “inconsistent with the constitution”.
The Gauteng education department did not respond to media queries.
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