Back to school mess
Angry parents whose kids were not placed threaten to drop them off at preferred schools
ANGRY Soweto parents whose children have not been placed at schools for 2017 are threatening to drop them off at schools by force today if the Gauteng department of education fails to assist them.
Yesterday, scores of parents formed a long queue at the Johannesburg central district’s offices at the old Soweto College of Education in Pimville after their children had not been placed in schools. The 2017 school year begins today.
Frustrated parents across the province had been queuing outside district offices since Monday after their children had not been placed in schools through the online application system for Grade 1 and 8.
Some parents told Sowetan that they had used the online application system last year to apply for their children but still their children were not placed in schools.
Others, especially grandparents, said because they could not use the online system they started visiting the district office last year to be helped with applying but were constantly told that the system was offline. A fuming Mimi Mofokeng of Jabulani was one of those who said they had been visiting the district office since last year to register her granddaughter who is supposed to begin her Grade 8 today.
She said she arrived at the offices on Monday at 7.30am and waited in the queue until 4pm but left without being helped.
“I was here at 7.30 again today and still I have not been helped. Is this right? I’m old and sick but I have to stand in a queue and I’m not even sure I’m going to get help today,” said Mofokeng around 12pm yesterday.
She said whether she received help or not, her grandchild would be going to school today.
“At 7.30 I will personally take my child to Letare [Secondary School], I have no child that is going to sit at home and do nothing. What must we do with these kids at home? Our government said children must go to school and now they want us to keep them at home because their stupid systems are not working,” she said.
An angry Matshediso Masasa echoed Mofokeng’s sentiments, saying her child would go to school today with or without the department’s approval.
Masasa from Phiri said she would take her child to Reasoma Secondary in Protea to start Grade 8.
“There is no way that children of people from Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Mozambique can have space at our schools but our children do not. I don’t care what happens, my child is going to school and it ends there. I’m not educated because I lived under apartheid and now apartheid is over but our children must also not be educated? It’s not going to happen,” she said. Some parents said they wanted MEC Panyaza Lesufi to come and account to them.
“If our children are not placed at schools we will go drop them off at his [Lesufi’s] house, he must look after them because this is his mess,” said another parent.
“Do they want our children to smoke nyaope and get pregnant while theirs attend private schools?”
Yesterday, the department said it had placed 18 000 pupils with late applications and 40 000 more still needed to be placed.
“While all effort will be made to place all learners, priority will be accorded to those that utilised the online system,” said the department in a statement.
“We extend our deepest and sincere apology to parents for the frustration caused by the delay... especially parents that applied early.”
“Government’s stupid systems are not working