E-government simplifies learner registration process

Imagine what it would take to operate a 24-hour-a-day, seven-daya-week service delivery provincial desk where no resident’s concern would be overlooked or ignored.

Imagine a situation where problems are immediately routed to the appropriate government officials, and they automatically move up the chain of command if they are not addressed within a few hours.

That would be service delivery at its best.

The promise of e-government, a more democratic, citizen- and community-centred service delivery phenomena, is here, thanks to the Gauteng Department of Education’s (GDE) online learner registration programme.

All applications for the 2019 academic year will be processed through the GDE’s twin policies of “e-governance” and “e-education”.

So what is e-government and what are its advantages? Egovernment is the mechanism through which governmental information and service delivery, traditionally provided through manual processes and personal contact, are re-engineered to be delivered in a self-service model, through a network infrastructure such as the internet.

Indeed, through e-government, we use new technologies to provide people with more convenient access to government information and services, and to improve the quality of the services.

There are many advantages of egovernment. It significantly increases the response time and decreases the cycle time, thereby improving access to governmental services and customer satisfaction.

Through our online learner registration, e-government provides constant availability and increased coverage by enabling access to governmental services from home, work, schools and others.

It provides several cost-effective solutions. Automating services and moving away from human intervention frees up manpower.

In addition, e-government offers an increase in productivity as well as an internal cost efficiency by sharing infrastructure costs with service delivery costs.

By using a secure online learner enrolment system, families will be able to register a child’s information for the 2019 school season, thus minimising wait times and paperwork at registration as well as ensuring accuracy of information for all learners.

This year the Admissions Application Online System website (www.gdeadmissions.gov.za) for the 2019 academic year opens on April 16 and closes on May 28.

It will:

Eradicate long queues at schools

● in the application period;

Create a centralised database for

● planning purposes;

Enable parents to access services

● at ease through a system that can process more than 30 000 applications per minute; and

Ensure that learners are placed

● within the legislative prescripts.

I urge all parents and guardians to use the online registration process and observe the deadlines.

Apart from applying from the comfort of their homes and offices, parents and guardians can do so at schools, district offices, teacher centres and other identified sites.

Those without internet can visit their local community libraries, where they will be assisted with the registration process.

Priority will be given to those who apply on time.

Parents are urged to confirm offers of placement urgently, failing which they will lose those offers.

Last year the GDE came under heavy criticism and attack after the online registration system crashed after going live, however, the technical glitches have been resolved.