Parents unhappy over school online enrolment process

SOME parents were left frustrated as they had to apply online for pupil enrolment next year and take in the documents to the schools they applied at.

However, Western Cape Education Department (WCED) spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said: “They must first apply online between March 14 and April 15. Then they will be notified whether they have or have not been accepted into a school.

“If they are accepted and take a place at a school, (example), they accept school A, then they must confirm their place by June 17 online for school A.

“Certified copies must be submitted to the school that they have accepted within seven days of the parent confirming the place at the school.”

Marisa Calvert said last year she applied online for her son at Rhenish and Boston primary schools and applications needed to be dropped off in person before the closing date.

“However, I asked if we could bring it in after our isolation period and they said yes. When we applied for Grade R, we were so certain that we’d get into the school that's four minutes from home but were declined.

“We applied at the same schools this year but decided to withdraw our application because it was a stressful situation last year. I didn’t want to be met with the same disappointment.

We have recently opted to just keep him at the private school we got into for Grade R.

“Just thinking of how I spent a lot of time in queues at the police station to get all the documents certified because the schools require original documents, too, and then doubling up on the info,” she said.

A Kuils River parent, who wanted to remain anonymous, said: “When I applied online, I actually went on their website (De Kuilen Primary School) and saw that one must make an appointment with the school to bring in the application forms.

“I phoned them the same day when the online applications opened, I got an appointment later in the day and took them the documents.

“When I called Kuils River Primary School, I asked them if the process is the same and they said they go strictly according to what the WCED directives are. This means you only accept hard copies once the child has been accepted at the school.”

Frank Solomons said: “The online system is a big struggle. Most of the people don’t have wi-fi or data to do this. If you go online with your phone, it will sometimes tell you that this session has ended. People have to do it on a laptop and everyone does not have one. We have to run around and give out bus fare or taxi fare to go to internet shops.

“One of the other struggles was walking to the different schools (Glendale High School, Rocklands High School and Cedar High School) and giving in the documents. When we get to some of the schools, we have to wait a while for help, as they don’t allow you in at the gate.”

Michelle Petersen said she applied at three schools (Westridge High School, Rocklands High School and Cedar High School) for her child.

“Pupil enrolment for online is a good thing but they should also consider other parents who are not financially stable. I want to say thank you to Gerome and his wife Charlene Hendriks who helped me with my son's application. The three schools I applied at required me to bring in the hard copy but I had to ask someone else to take it because one of my children is sick,” she said.

Founder and co-ordinator of Parents for Equal Education SA, Vanessa le Roux, said: “Many schools have different admission policies, especially the former model C schools. They request that parents hand deliver the documents during the online period.

“I am of the opinion that all schools should go back to handing applications in at the school. The new system leaves so many people behind that don’t have access to the internet.

“What about your farmworker? In many cases, these people don't even have network coverage on these farms. If this system continues to be in place, many children will be left behind,” she said.