Gauteng MEC for Education Ms Barbara Creecy’s Statement on the start of 2013 school admissions campaign

The Gauteng Department of Education invites parents to apply for the 2013 schooling year between 22 May and 27 July 2012.

Parents can pick up the application forms from schools this week and submit them by the closing date. We have extended the closing date for submission of application forms following requests for extension from School Governing Bodies, associations and civil society. We have favourably considered the requests and this means that we will still complete the learner admission process about two months earlier than previous years.

The department has a constitutional obligation to place each child who presents themselves at a school seeking space. In Gauteng, we are experiencing high demand for space.

Starting about three months early enables us to put our house in order and prepare for the first day of the 2013 schooling year. We will have more time to place learners during this application period and assist parents who may not have found space in schools closer to where they stay or work.

We will also initiate processes on time to order textbooks, stationery, and furniture, prepare timetables, and hire new teachers in preparation for next year. We urge all parents to prepare the necessary documents needed to apply for next year. The application form should be submitted together with the following documents: a birth certificate, proof of residence, transfer card and/or last report card, and study permits for legal immigrants. For Grade 1 learners and primary schools, we will need the child’s immunisation card as well.

We are asking parents to fill in slips that schools will send to confirm that their child will be staying at the same school. This will enable us to prepare for the following year as we would know the capacity available in schools. This year, we received 15 000 late applications in January. This figure is slightly up from the 12 000 we received in January of 2011. But this is still about half of the 30 000 late applications we received in January of 2010 and 2009.

To address the urgent need for space, we have over the last few years supplied existing schools with prefabricated classrooms and extra teachers. In January, we decentralised late applications and established operation centres at district offices to receive late applicants. This year, we established a rapid response team to visit schools particularly in the south of Johannesburg to assess pressure for space and provide solutions. This team was responsible for supplying extra textbooks, stationery, classrooms and furniture to accommodate late learners in the province.

We have promulgated new admissions regulations to improve the 2013 admission process and close some of the gaps we had in previous regulations. The regulations make it easier for schools to process admission applications effectively and efficiently.

The regulations are meant to update the old regulations promulgated in 2000 and bring them in line with the new national legislation that was passed after their promulgation. Some elements of the current procedures related to admissions have been regulated or guided by circulars. The regulations create a uniform regulatory environment to govern admissions.

Upon submission of the application form, the school will give the parent a reference number stating their position in the waiting list. Parents within the feeder area of the school will be placed on waiting list A and those outside of the feeder area will be placed on waiting list B. A feeder area of a school is determined by whether you live or work close to the school.

Parents DO NOT have to pay a registration fee, administration fee, the first month’s school fee for 2013 in advance, or any other fee to apply for or secure a space at a public school.

After the closing date of 27 July, schools will submit all waiting lists to the district office. The district director will return the approved list of placements to the school at the beginning of third term. Successful applicants will be informed by schools from August.

If you have not received confirmation, please contact the school or the district office to assist with the placement of your child. District directors will ensure that every learner who applied is placed before the end of September.

Enquiries:
Phahlane
Tel: 011 355 1530
Cell: 071 860 4496.