A hundred pupils can finally go to school after a month of anxiety.Schools opened their doors to children on January 13 but 100 pupils found themselves excluded for a variety of reasons.
Education Department acting chief director Kwedinana Tshwentshwe was at the Education Leadership Institute yesterday to oversee the efforts of district officers Lwandile Nkenke and Derk Hennekom and chief education specialist Estelle Swarts, who were negotiating with schools.
The pupils were picked up by the department’s call centre, which was set up to assist with getting schools started this year.
Concern turned to relief for a group of about 70 parents meeting with the officials at the institute in Stirling.
They said they had been visiting the call centre from the moment their children were rejected by schools and found themselves on the outside of the state education system.
Tshwentshwe, who was present, said the problem was caused by rural migration.
An increasing number of families had migrated to the urban areas, causing an unexpected influx of children at suburban schools.
Tshwentshwe said: “There is a great demand for Afrikaans schools, which are very few, and we are here to negotiate with parents to make use of some of the schools that are willing to cooperate with us.”
The department negotiated places at East London High, Greenpoint and John Bisseker high schools.
“We are also negotiating with Alphandale High,” he said.
Parent Rayden Golden, said she applied for her child to attend John Bisseker, but it was full.
“The principal told me early in January there were no vacancies because of the high rate of Grade 8 repeaters and three teachers had left the school at the end of last year. So he could not accommodate my children.”
Vuyelwa Luke said her child Chantel had been schooling at Grens Hoërskool, but they could not afford the fees. Luke desperately wanted to place her daughter at another school.
“We are very hopeful after having seen many children being placed at schools.”
Ondela Qabakazi was relieved her niece had been put into Greenpoint High.
“It has been very strenuous coming into town every day trying to get my child into school and at the same time the school curriculum has been in progress and our children have been losing out.” — mbalit@dispatch.co.za
Relief as last pupils placed
Schools opened their doors to children on January 13 but 100 pupils found themselves excluded for a variety of reasons.
Education Department acting chief director Kwedinana Tshwentshwe was at the Education Leadership Institute yesterday to oversee the efforts of district officers Lwandile Nkenke and Derk Hennekom and chief education specialist Estelle Swarts, who were negotiating with schools.
The pupils were picked up by the department’s call centre, which was set up to assist with getting schools started this year.
Concern turned to relief for a group of about 70 parents meeting with the officials at the institute in Stirling.
They said they had been visiting the call centre from the moment their children were rejected by schools and found themselves on the outside of the state education system.
Tshwentshwe, who was present, said the problem was caused by rural migration.
An increasing number of families had migrated to the urban areas, causing an unexpected influx of children at suburban schools.
Tshwentshwe said: “There is a great demand for Afrikaans schools, which are very few, and we are here to negotiate with parents to make use of some of the schools that are willing to cooperate with us.”
The department negotiated places at East London High, Greenpoint and John Bisseker high schools.
“We are also negotiating with Alphandale High,” he said.
Parent Rayden Golden, said she applied for her child to attend John Bisseker, but it was full.
“The principal told me early in January there were no vacancies because of the high rate of Grade 8 repeaters and three teachers had left the school at the end of last year. So he could not accommodate my children.”
Vuyelwa Luke said her child Chantel had been schooling at Grens Hoërskool, but they could not afford the fees. Luke desperately wanted to place her daughter at another school.
“We are very hopeful after having seen many children being placed at schools.”
Ondela Qabakazi was relieved her niece had been put into Greenpoint High.
“It has been very strenuous coming into town every day trying to get my child into school and at the same time the school curriculum has been in progress and our children have been losing out.” — mbalit@dispatch.co.za
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