Gauteng MEC for Education, Matome Chiloane has said all parents of Grade 1s and Grade 8s with complete applications will start receiving offers of placements next week Monday (4 September).
The Gauteng Department of Education confirmed that it received a total of 757 075 Grade 1 and Grade 8 applications. But said only 270 950 of these applications are completed and applicants will get placement letters next week.
Chiloane urged parents to accept the school placement offers and that they have seven days to accept the offers.
“As I have said from the 4th of September we will be releasing SMS for parents to offer them places and please they will have 7 days to accept the space. Parents must avoid the delay game because I know sometimes they get these SMS and they delay to accept.
“Maybe they might not be comfortable with a certain school or etc. So please as you get an offer, take it because that offer has been considered properly, I will explain to you why I say those offers that we are going to be offering parents.
“We would have looked at a number of criterias like I have said earlier. So the SMS is going out from the 4th of September and if you don’t get an SMS perhaps you have lost your phone or something, go to the GDE admissions.gov.za . The same process you used to apply, go there and check. So all parents will get an update on the 4th of September,” he added.
The Department of Education has identified about 292 Primary Schools and 277 Secondary Schools as high pressure schools.
In Tshwane West, Akasia Primary School, Theresapark Primary school, Langenhoven High School, Akasia High School and Gerrit Maritz High School are on the top 20 of the most demanded schools for placement.
Earlier this year, there were protests in the area with parents demanding placement at Gerrit Maritz High school.
However, Chiloane reassured parents that the department has plans in place to alleviate the pressure and has set up satellite schools and has dispatched mobile classrooms..
“There are going to be mobile schools just to alleviate pressure in that area. So that is where it is. It is mostly Akasia. We have set up satellite schools there. We are also looking to expand through this program. I have spoken about self-built and mobiles in the immediate school in the area.
“So this is what we are doing and remember the pressure we know where it is. We have managed to place the number this year. So we know that at least next year we will be able to place them. So I don’t anticipate much of a problem next year. We are comfortable,” said Chiloane.