In a bid to avoid starting the academic year with parents flocking to the district centre and leaving children without a placement, the department of education has launched an Early Bird campaign that offers parents an opportunity to enrol their children in advance.
As part of the call for parents to submit applications for first-time Grade1 and Grade8, and those pupils relocating from other areas next year for intake, the department has urged them to collect the necessary application forms in time for various schools across the province in a bid to avoid impacting on quality teaching time next year.
The campaign kicked off last year after the annual crisis that sees hundreds of pupils without a placement late into the first term.
The department worked towards solving the admission problems and attributed this campaign as an answer to them, should parents comply.
They also highlighted the responsibility of school principals, who are legally delegated to administer the admission of pupils to public schools.
Parents have until May 26 to obtain application forms with all required information, with the admission period closing on August 29 for principals and SGB members. Placement of pupils by the schools, which inform parents of successful and unsuccessful applications, closes on June 23. Parents then have the opportunity to accept or reject the placement offers in writing until July 24. The process for the districts to submit the finalised placements would close on November 8.
Eastern Cape education department MEC Mandla Makupula last month said while the government was committed to academic excellence, he appealed to parents, pupils and SGBs to take advantage.
“As April is the month for issuing application forms by schools for January 2018 admission, I appeal to all parents, learners and SGB to comply with the steps needed to be followed regarding admissions,” Makupula said.
Counselling psychologist Karen Walton said that children in transition, like those moving from primary to high school, were prone to experiencing distress, and the added strain of not finding a school could leave them susceptible to self-harm.
“Children foresee an entire year of no schooling, or the pressure of having to catch up on work already missed. Such stress and pressure can make a child consider extreme measures,” Walton said.
Education spokesman Loyiso Pulumani said the campaign was aimed at ensuring that both parents and department shared the responsibility that pupils attended school from the beginning of the year.
“The campaign is about sensitising parents on the importance of applying on time, and what documents to attach on the forms when applying,” Pulumani said.
“Some parents wake up late to collect the forms from schools, and when they get there the application collection period is closed.
“It is a continuation of what we have started last year and we are still going to continue until the parents understand the importance and are able to stand on their own,” Pulumani said.
He added that the schools and the department shared a common goal.
“Fortunately so far the department and schools speak one language and the principals are very much willing to assist, because they have one objective, that all children must be at school,” Pulumani said. — oreillya@timesmedia.co.za
Drive to place pupils gathers steam in EC
As part of the call for parents to submit applications for first-time Grade1 and Grade8, and those pupils relocating from other areas next year for intake, the department has urged them to collect the necessary application forms in time for various schools across the province in a bid to avoid impacting on quality teaching time next year.
The campaign kicked off last year after the annual crisis that sees hundreds of pupils without a placement late into the first term.
The department worked towards solving the admission problems and attributed this campaign as an answer to them, should parents comply.
They also highlighted the responsibility of school principals, who are legally delegated to administer the admission of pupils to public schools.
Parents have until May 26 to obtain application forms with all required information, with the admission period closing on August 29 for principals and SGB members. Placement of pupils by the schools, which inform parents of successful and unsuccessful applications, closes on June 23. Parents then have the opportunity to accept or reject the placement offers in writing until July 24. The process for the districts to submit the finalised placements would close on November 8.
Eastern Cape education department MEC Mandla Makupula last month said while the government was committed to academic excellence, he appealed to parents, pupils and SGBs to take advantage.
“As April is the month for issuing application forms by schools for January 2018 admission, I appeal to all parents, learners and SGB to comply with the steps needed to be followed regarding admissions,” Makupula said.
Counselling psychologist Karen Walton said that children in transition, like those moving from primary to high school, were prone to experiencing distress, and the added strain of not finding a school could leave them susceptible to self-harm.
“Children foresee an entire year of no schooling, or the pressure of having to catch up on work already missed. Such stress and pressure can make a child consider extreme measures,” Walton said.
Education spokesman Loyiso Pulumani said the campaign was aimed at ensuring that both parents and department shared the responsibility that pupils attended school from the beginning of the year.
“The campaign is about sensitising parents on the importance of applying on time, and what documents to attach on the forms when applying,” Pulumani said.
“Some parents wake up late to collect the forms from schools, and when they get there the application collection period is closed.
“It is a continuation of what we have started last year and we are still going to continue until the parents understand the importance and are able to stand on their own,” Pulumani said.
He added that the schools and the department shared a common goal.
“Fortunately so far the department and schools speak one language and the principals are very much willing to assist, because they have one objective, that all children must be at school,” Pulumani said. — oreillya@timesmedia.co.za
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