Department spokesperson, Howard Ndaba, says an influx of learners from other provinces seeking admission to schools in the Free State has contributed to the problem. He says the provincial Education Department has proved to be one of the best in terms of the delivery of education services, and this has attracted a number of learners seeking placement in the province.

Ndaba says the department is currently in talks with parents at the department's district offices in Bloemfontein to find practical solutions. “We are still negotiating with them, but we can say we have made progress in terms of admissions. We have also identified a phenomenon of people coming from other provinces to our province, because of the way we are performing as a province.”

Ndaba says although there are some parents who are still presenting themselves at the district offices in Bloemfontein looking for school placements, the majority of them have been assisted. He says the department is working on plans to ensure that learners who have missed classes are brought up to speed. He says it is, however, still difficult to indicate how many learners still need to be placed.

Katleho Morapela/OFM News