Following the lawyer’s letter sent by AfriForum to Gauteng’s Department of Education to raise concerns about problems with the province’s school placement system, the Head of the Department, Mr Edward Mosuwe, has given the written undertaking to AfriForum that these matters are receiving attention.
In the letter dated 13 August 2021, Mr Mosuwe responds that the current system divides the applications into phases to ensure more efficient administration. He gives the undertaking that learners’ preference for language of instruction will be dealt with in accordance with the placement regulations. This also applies to criteria such as feeder zones and the capacity of schools.
According to Alana Bailey, AfriForum’s Head of Cultural Affairs, the undertakings in the letter seem reassuring, but experience has shown that the full extent of problems with Gauteng’s system only becomes evident when the placement lists become available. AfriForum will therefore continue to monitor the process in order to protect mother-language education and learners’ rights. AfriForum remains adamant that the former system where schools handled placements themselves, worked much better than the current online system and should be reinstated. It gave communities the authority to manage schools themselves, rather than centralising the power in the hands of the state, with ideological interference from, for example, the MEC for Education, Mr Panyaza Lesufi, and ongoing system problems that cause schools and parents much distress.
“Complaints about hitches in the system are still being received from schools and parents. AfriForum continuously brings this to the Department’s attention. This includes parents struggling to register twins because the system only recognises one placement. Parents whose children are currently not in public schools, but who want to enrol them in public schools in 2022, fear that their applications will not receive equal consideration. By constantly pointing out the violation of learners’ rights to the Department, we hope that adjustments will take place in time to prevent further problems and resulting legal action by AfriForum,” Bailey adds.
Parents are urged to familiarise themselves with the placement process at www.gdeadmissions.gov.za, to stay in touch with the schools of their choice and to report any problems with the system to AfriForum at onderwys@antiek.afriforum.co.za.