MEC Chiloane says BELA Bill will help Gauteng place more learners

Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane has welcomed the signing of the BELA Bill into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Chiloane says this will help the department place more learners at schools.

He was addressing members of the media in Bryanston, Johannesburg, on the status of online applications for grade 1 and grade 8 learners.

“That’s very important to us and it will also assist us to really increase spaces and capacity. In fact, the people of Gauteng will see that perhaps we really never had a challenge of space as much. Although we would have because our system is growing. But it will really go a long way to assist us.”

Meanwhile, people applying as part of the Gauteng online school application process are advised not to use internet cafes.

Instead, they are urged to use government centres or schools where they can do this for free.

The department’s acting Chief Director for School Management is Mmule Madonsela, “Parents avoid using internet cafes. Because you are paying for a service that we offer for free. If you walk into any of our centres or schools, you would be assisted for free. Secondly, internet cafes use portals that we do not know. You find that parents have applied but we do not have the application.”