The DA in Gauteng has urged all parents and guardians to secure their child’s school placement and ensure that they do not miss a day of schooling by submitting their online applications for Grade 1 pupils on Monday.
The call came after the Gauteng Education Department announced that parents and guardians will have another opportunity to register online for the 2022 academic year.
DA Gauteng education spokesperson Khume Ramulifho said parents and guardians must apply for online admission before the closing date on October 8, as this would ensure their child’s placement at their preferred school is secured.
Ramulifho said delays in applying for online admission has had a detrimental effect in that many pupils across the province had missed months of schooling.
“This is the most critical level of learning as the child will be starting their first stage of academic life at a primary school and everything must be planned properly so that they enjoy the new beginnings.
“In most cases, failure by parents to apply timeously affects both them and their child as they will be frustrated, and will be unable to budget for school uniforms, stationery, and scholar transport, not knowing whether their child has secured a place or not.
“Parents who are facing difficulties with their applications and those who do not have internet access should go to their nearest Gauteng Department of Education regional office for assistance with their applications,” Ramulifho said.
He said his party would continue to urge the department to communicate with parents about the progress of their applications, and to ensure that those applications received on time were prioritised.
“We all have a responsibility to ensure that we protect our children’s right to access to basic education, where parents must apply online on time, and the department must ensure the placement of all learners,” he said.
Ramulifho said the DA would continue to monitor the online admission process, from Grade 1 to 8, to ensure the process is running smoothly. Where there were system glitches, the party would inform the department, which had a responsibility to secure school placements for all children.
POLITICAL BUREAU