Angry parents have accused the Department of Education of prioritising white learners in the placement process while black children are left behind.
The parents staged a protest outside Laerskool Danie Malan on Thursday and the two groups of parents – one black and one white – stood on opposite sides of the school.
Police monitored the situation and schooling wasn’t disrupted while some parents struggled to find space for their children.
A parent who is still awaiting an appeal for placement for his Grade 1 child, Prince Shabangu, said the SGB and the principal must be axed.
“We want the SGB and the principal of the school to be removed with immediate effect. You know why they don’t want additional English classes because they know if there are more black learners we will be able to manipulate and change the communication policy. It is the only one that dictates how many SBG there are,” said Shabangu.
Another parent, Thalitha Ranamane the has alleged the application process opens early in Danie Malan Primary school unbeknown to many black parents.
“We all did the application in August but here in Pretoria North Danie Malan, the applications are being done in April.
“The GDE is failing us as parents because we are following them. We are following what they are telling us to do. But they are taking these white parents in April but not us.
“That is why every year we fight the same thing. They are telling us it is late applications but we don’t know how late the applications are,” said Ranamane.
The Gauteng Department of Education opened phase one of the online admissions for Grade 1 and 8 for the 2023 academic year on 22 July 2022 until 19 August 2022.
However, Anna Makobe whose child is in Grade 7 has denied the racism allegations saying “
I have never seen it and I have never noticed it”.
Makobe criticised the protests and said they are affecting the learners adversely.
“Yesterday, I spoke to my son and he said ‘mommy I was scared when I saw security guys holding guns moving up and down’. Even this morning he said ‘mommy make u turn let’s go back home’. My son yesterday didn’t go to school because of the stress, the frustration and the fear,” said Makobe.
Yesterday, the Gauteng MEC for Education, Matome Chiloane and Premier Panyaza Lesufi assured parents that learners will be placed within 10 days.
The Gauteng Education Department is yet to respond to Newsnotes Enquiries.
