It’s back to school as the 2024 academic year begins

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The 2024 academic year begins today with millions of learners expected in classrooms around the country. However, parents in some provinces are still struggling to obtain placements for their children in schools.

The Basic Education Department says its online admission system is not the problem but lack of space at schools which parents want their children to be placed.

The department’s spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga says, “Even if the system was perfect or even if you were to remove the system, the queues and the frustration would remain. What the system does though is to help in allocating spaces to learners who have applied at a given period in the time frame that has been given by the provincial education department. That system tells you where there are still spaces and where spaces are no longer available and when that is communicated to parents that’s when the conflict arises.”

The Western Cape Education Department says it’s looking forward to welcoming learners for the new academic year when schools open this morning. Premier, Alan Winde and Provincial Education Minister, David Maynier are expected to visit Westcott Primary School in Diep today. Maynier says they have been hard at work preparing for a smooth reopening of the provincial schools. He says about R95 million has been spent on books, stationery and equipment alone.

“Our officials and contractors have also been working throughout the holidays to deliver ten new schools and hundreds of extra classrooms for new learners in 2024 and we appeal for patience as we finalise the remaining placements of new applicants we wish our learners, teachers, parents and officials a happy new school year.”

Meanwhile, some parents in Kimberley in the Northern Cape say they are not happy with the schools that the department of education has placed their children in. The parents are still hoping to appeal the decision – maintaining that the schools were not their preferred choices. Some parents say the online application system in the Northern Cape has failed them and their children who are meant to start Grade R, One and Eight. They say despite applying on time – they are still stuck with schools that were not part of their three choices. The parents believe their children will not receive quality education in the schools that the department placed them in.

“When the online applications were open, I applied for 3 schools as required. When they responded, they told me there’s no placement for the schools I applied for, so I should wait for placement. Until today I’m waiting for placement. When registration opened, the next day I applied. I only got the response saying that my child was being placed at the same school and I didn’t apply to the school he was attending. I wanted a different school. I’m not happy at all,” says one parent.

School Readiness | Parents unhappy with online portals: Matome Chiloane

 

Discussion | State of South Africa’s education system