THE Education Department is urging parents to register their children by the end of September for 2010.

THE Education Department is urging parents to register their children by the end of September for 2010.

Registration is open for new pupils and those who are transferring from one school to another.

Early registration will help to minimise confusion when schools open at the beginning of next year. It will also enable schools to plan their budgets based on the number of pupils expected, teachers, furniture, textbooks and stationery.

Provincial heads of department in consultation with school governing bodies create feeder zones to manage pupil intake in densely populated areas by taking into consideration first pupils living in the feeder zone of the school, or those whose parents work in the feeder zone;

Other pupils will be admitted on a first-come first-served basis.

Grade 1 pupils have to be age five turning six by 30 June 2010 to be eligible for school.

Children in Grade R should be five years old.

When applying for their children, parents must have the following documents:

The application form of the preferred school;

The child's original birth certificate;

Proof of immunisation;

Transfer card ;

Last report card issued by the previous school.