Frustration as 50 pupils yet to start academic year

Nearly 50 children in Diepsloot and Riverside in Gauteng are yet to set foot in a classroom this year as they are still awaiting placement, even though the second term of the academic year began last week.

The desperate parents in the north of Johannesburg expressed anxiety and frustration as their children have been at home for the past four months.

According to Diepsloot community activist Reginald Lebotse, who has been trying to assist the parents, at least 50 pupils are still awaiting placement.

Parents allege that the Gauteng department of education had promised that the newly built Tanganani Primary School, which is meant to ease overcrowding, would be completed by the end of March. However, that deadline has come and gone without any sign of the school opening.

Gauteng education spokesperson Steve Mabona acknowledged the ongoing issues with placement in the area and said that community unrest had delayed construction of the school.

“Indeed, we are highly pressured in Diepsloot. It must be noted that community unrest delayed the opening of Tanganani Primary School.

“The school is almost complete and, once opened, will help alleviate pressure in the area. In the meantime, affected children will be temporarily placed in other schools, and a catch-up programme will be implemented to cover lost time,” said Mabona.

However, many parents remain unconvinced, having seen little evidence of real progress.

Johannes Tjali, the father of a grade 1 pupil, said his son was initially accepted at Mzomuhle Primary School only to be rejected when they arrived.

“I had already bought him grey trousers and a white shirt for his first day at school. But when we went to the school, the principal said they no longer had space and we must wait for Tanganani to be completed,” he said.

Tjali said he visited the site and reported seeing only tents and mobile classrooms.

“The district promised our children would be enrolled by the second term, but what I saw didn’t look complete to me,” he said.

Oscar Sebekedi, a father of two children in grade 4 and grade 11, removed them from their previous school, Rabasotho Combined School, due to safety concerns. He applied for them at Riverside Primary and Far North High schools and they were put on a waiting list. He said when he went back later in January, he was told that both schools were full.

Mpho Mudau, another frustrated parent, relocated for a new job and applied for his son at Kwena Molapo High School last November. He said his child was number 23 on the waiting list. But in January, the principal told him there was no longer space, and suggested he try schools in Cosmo City — where he also found no space.

“The district promised to get back to me last Tuesday, but they haven’t. I’m afraid this will lead my son into depression,” he said.

Despite these parents' ongoing struggles, basic education spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga told Sowetan that the department had resolved all placement issues.

“All learners have been placed,” he claimed.

However, when he was sent the response from Mabona in which he confirmed their knowledge of unplaced pupils, Mhlanga said: “On this statement, Mabona is stating that 50 pupils from Diepsloot will be allocated temporarily to other schools.”

According to the  SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), it has received complaints for many years relating to the schools admission policy.

“The complaints we receive relate to learners who are in the other grades and are transferring from other schools,” SAHRC Gauteng manager Zamantungwa Mbeki said.

She said the commission would scrutinise the department’s admissions system and explore whether it meets the needs of pupils, particularly those who have migrated into the province.

“We are examining whether the department has fulfilled its obligation to urgently place learners without further burdening already overcrowded classrooms,” Mbeki said.

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