Anxious parents camp outside Gauteng Department of Education offices

Anxiety and frustration gripped some Gauteng parents whose children have been placed in schools far from their homes.

On Tuesday, parents were left with no option but to look for alternatives a day before the start of the new school year.

According to the provincial department of education (GDE), over 21,000 pupils applied late but have already been placed.

Some parents complained the schools their children were placed in were drug havens while others accused teachers at least-preferred schools of not doing their jobs.

The department district office in Meyersdal, Ekurhuleni, was packed to capacity with parents believed to have arrived in the early hours of the morning.

Some of the parents who spoke to Sowetan expressed anger and disappointment at the department for failing to place their children at their preferred schools.

Department spokesperson Steve Mabona said it did not have unplaced pupils.

“Many parents applied late, but they found schools that are far but now they need transfers because of those schools. Some parents were placed in the initial placing period, but they are not satisfied with what they got for different reasons – they would say the school doesn’t teach and some would say the schools have drugs and they can’t take their children there, so it is those things we are trying to manage.

“We are trying to accommodate those who are closer, but we will not be able to satisfy everyone because capacity is our challenge.”

Sylvia Chaotsane from Dawn Park in Boksburg told Sowetan that she applied online to five schools last year July but her child was placed at a school in Reiger Park.

“They took my child to a school I do not want and they didn’t even give me a choice,” she said.

She said her 13-year-old daughter, who was looking forward to Grade 8, would now need transport to get to school. Chaotsane said in December she went to one of the schools she had applied for and was given a form to fill and asked to submit her child’s transfer forms.

“In December, I bought stationery and uniform and I even explained that to them [district officials] and they said they don’t care. I don’t know what to do. I had already spent R890 to buy school uniform. My heart is sore.”

Mosa Mokoena, who had been camping at the office since 6am, said she wanted her child to be placed at her preferred school.

“They want me to take my child to Reiger Park or to another school in Tsakane. They didn’t give me an option, they just told me those are the schools she should go to. I am an unemployed single mother. I am not going to be able to afford transport,” the woman said.

Another parent was told to wait 10 days after the reopening of schools to find out if her child would be placed..

The mother said she wanted a transfer for her 15-year-old who is in Grade 11. She said due to “unforeseen circumstances”, her child who lived in Kuruman, Northern Cape, had to move to Gauteng.

“I am here [district offices] now to come and apply for her but I was told I need to wait 10 days for a headcount. My worry is that in those 10 days what are the chances that she is going to be placed in one of the schools and the school of my preference – that is my frustration because basically for the next 10 days, she will be home doing nothing,” the woman said.

Sindi Zulu said she found the online system challenging and had made a mistake last year when she applied for her child.

Zulu, who lives in Katlehong, said she mistakenly chose a school in Krugersdorp when she applied online.

“I am here for them to transfer my child to a school close to us. The online system has been challenging to navigate. I didn’t even check after I applied online and only now I checked and realised I chose a school that is far from us,” she said.

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