THE Gauteng education department says it is ready to deal with an influx of late registrations when schools reopen tomorrow.

THE Gauteng education department says it is ready to deal with an influx of late registrations when schools reopen tomorrow.

About 20000 pupils who recently moved to Gauteng are expected to register.

Education MEC Barbara Creecy said 250 officials had visited 2101 public schools over two weeks in November last year.

They assessed five criteria: delivery of learner-teacher materials; staffing; pupil registration; academic preparation such as timetables and class lists; and the state of physical infrastructure such as desks, cleanliness and maintenance.

Schools were categorised as red, orange and green, and on each of these areas interventions were made to deal with the problem areas.

"These interventions have generally been successful and the majority of schools will be ready to commence learning and teaching," Creecy said.

Nkhensani Makhubela from Tshiawelo in Soweto, who was registering her child for Grade 4 at Gazankulu Primary School yesterday, said: "My child was studying in Limpopo and now I want him to be closer to me."

Another parent, Gladys Molefe, said: "I did not take the department seriously when they said I should register my child in September."

National Association of Parents in School Governing chairperson Mahlomola Kekana said: "We are happy with interventions by the department, and we are confident there would be teaching on the first day of school."

Creecy said parents should not bring pupils to school without registering them. They should go to district offices for enquiries.