The Gauteng Education Department is working around the clock to place learners for 2022. Photo: Unsplash.com
Gauteng school placements for 2022 in progress – MEC
The Gauteng Education Department is hopeful that all learners will be placed in school ahead of the 2022 academic year.
The Gauteng Education Department is working around the clock to place learners for 2022. Photo: Unsplash.com
Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi has announced that he is hopeful that all learners will be placed in school following the closure of the 2022 Online Admissions for Grade 1 and Grade 8 in the province.
Lesufi said that he was hopeful that all learners would have secured a place in school for the 2022 academic year by the end of 10 December 2021.
According to statistics released by his department, out of the 335 091 Grade 1 and 8 applications received for the 2022 academic year, 278 029 had submitted their proof of residence to enable the department to facilitate their placements. A total of 273 317 of these applicants had already been placed in schools by noon on Friday.
The department said that the remaining 4 712 applicants’ placements were being facilitated.
Education department intervenes at schools across province
According to the department it has put the following interventions in place to assist learners:
• The department has identified schools in areas across the province that are under pressure for more education facilities, so that funds can be allocated to build additional brick and mortar classrooms.
• The department has started the administrative process to transfer a total of R240 million to build 229 classrooms in identified primary schools and 270 classrooms in high schools within the next two weeks. All classrooms are turnkey, consisting of school furniture and related resources.
• In addition, a total of 132 mobile classrooms are being supplied to identified schools to augment classroom shortages and enhance space.
The department said that from the initial batch of applications that it had received, it had identified 57 062 applicants who had not submitted or uploaded proof of residence during the allocated time period. The system will grant these applicants an opportunity to upload this documentation for immediate placement from 16 – 31 December 2021.
“We remain solidly hopeful that in the next 24 hours we will complete this mammoth task. It’s not easy, but we are spending sleepless nights to conclude this mandate,” Lesufi said.
He said the department fully understood parents’ anxiety and was balancing many factors to complete the allocation process.
