Johannesburg - Parents who will be looking for learner placement in Grades 1 and 8 have been urged to research feeder zones and get their documentation in order following the announcement of the 2024 application period.
Gauteng Education MEC, Matome Chiloane, announced yesterday that the online admission period for Grades 1 and 8 would open on June 15 at 8am and officially close on July 14 at midnight, giving parents one month to apply for space.
Chiloane said the system had been greatly improved as his department conducted assessments of the system and identified various areas for improvement through consultations with school leadership, governing bodies and other stakeholders operating with the system.
He said one thing that had been improved was the capacity of the system to take applications per minute, and that this year they would also have a single application process.
Last year, the department had a two-phased approach for learners already within the system, which gave them preference to apply only after opening the process for others in the public education system.
However, this year Chiloane said the department would have one process for everyone to apply on the same day.
The system is expected to accept 40 000 applications per minute, with the hope that it will be able to process at least 500 000 within 10 minutes.
“We are discouraging the use of internet cafés as they are not reliable. I know there are areas, especially in the city centres, where parents will go and use internet cafés, and it becomes really difficult for them.”
As an alternative, Chiloane said his department had set up numerous walk-in centres at district offices and the schools to ensure system-wide support for parents to make applications.
Chiloane said his department knew of the “high-pressure” schools and they had already begun the process to increase capacity and put measures in place to mitigate against that.
“There is no school that is going to deny access due to language, but it is advisable that learners continue with the language of schooling that they have used in previous years. But language is not the criteria the schools are using to place learners, so parents should not worry that they will be denied access,” said Chiloane.
This is especially after reports of clashes between schools such as Laerskool Danie Malan in Pretoria north and parents earlier in the year regarding access to the Pretoria school.
The local EFF and a handful of parents accused the school of unfairly turning away and denying admission to black learners.
Chiloane also urged parents of learners in Grade R enrolled at schools not to assume that their children would automatically be accepted in Grade 1 at the schools they were currently enrolled in.
“Parents of Grade R learners need to apply during this period to avoid disappointment. SMS notifications will be sent out at every step to alleviate the anxiety that waiting sometimes causes.
“All learners that are turning 6 by June 30, 2024 and are currently enrolled in Grade R in a school or early childhood development site, as well as learners that are not in any type of school, must apply on the system for admission, with a minimum of three and a maximum of five schools to be selected by parents.”
Chiloane added that placement offers would be sent to parents from September 4, until the very last learner was placed.
The Star