Africa-Press – South-Africa. On the eve of the new school year, more than 1 300 Gauteng school pupils are still seeking placement.
At a Gauteng Department of Education school readiness and online admission update on Tuesday, Education MEC Matome Chiloane revealed that 290 751 pupils had been placed in schools in the province. Another 1 394 remain unplaced.
In Ekurhuleni North, 236 Grade 1 applicants have not been placed in Olifantsfoein and 501 pupils in Grade 8 have not been placed in Kempton Park.
In Tshwane West, 223 Grade 8 pupils have not been placed in Akasia, and 434 Grade 8 applicants have not been placed in Johannesburg West.
Chiloane said the department was working round the clock to ensure the placement of every pupil.
“We can confirm that placement continues and that children have not been placed. Education is a right, and it is our responsibility to ensure that we meet this obligation,” Chiloane added.
He said admission pressure and overcrowding were some of the reasons pupils were not placed.
As a result, the department is looking at mobile classes.
He added that there were plans for schools to self-build more classrooms to increase placement capacity, and to acquire more land to increase the number of schools in high-pressure areas.
Chiloane also touched on the destruction of infrastructure.
Since the beginning of 2022, about 120 schools have been affected by vandalism. During the December holidays, 24 schools were vandalised.
Chiloane said the department would work hard to repair vandalised schools.
“Repairs to vandalised schools have already begun [since October 2022], and none of the vandalised schools have been closed.”
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