This is according to the spokesperson at the Northern Cape Education Department, Lehuma Ntuane, who told OFM News that this number grew during the 7th and 11th of January, now leaving the Department with over 140 new applications of learners that need to be placed at schools in the province. This follows after Ntuane previously told OFM News that the department had over 300 learners who needed to be placed and the Department hoped that these learners all would have secured places at schools in the province).

Ntuane said owing to the abrupt number growth, the department had now shifted its target from Monday to Wednesday. The departmental spokesperson also added that parents remain the biggest challenge in this entire process as they expect to have their children placed at their preferred schools, which are often in suburbs and can only carry a certain number of learners. Forcing schools to accept more than they may be able to would only lead to overcrowding and other problems and thus parents are urged to let the Department place their learners at any school where there may be space.

Ntuane said that the head of the department, Tshepo Pharasi, met with parents in Kimberley on Monday to explain to them the challenges schools have with regards to the placement of children in schools in the province, particularly in the Frances Baard District as well as those in the John Taolo Gaetsewe District. Ntuane says Pharasi further urged parents to, in future, apply for schools in time as the majority of cases pertaining to parents applying for schools after closing dates. In instances where families had to migrate to the Northern Cape for employment opportunities, Nthuane said it was understandable why there were new school placement applications, however, he said the bulk of the cases were owing to parents either applying late to schools or trying to force their children into their schools of choice, despite the fact that many of these schools had already stopped receiving learners for the 2019 year. He says about four high schools in the Frances Baard District will accommodate the grade 8 learners, while four town-based schools will accommodate the remainder. The Department hopes to have completed this process by Wednesday.

OFM News