THE scramble for placement continues in some parts of Gauteng as many parents raise their frustrations.
This time, parents in Atteridgeville, Tshwane are feeling the pressure.
“This is very painful. As a single mother living with her kids and having to also go to work, it's a lot. I no longer have leave days because I spend most of them running up and down trying to secure space for my children,” parent Karabo Hlabyago told Daily Sun.
Her two children are supposed to go to grades 10 and 8 respectively but are currently at home.
“They said they will call us back, but nobody is saying anything on where the delay is. We are going back and forth with no clear answers but promises of being called back, which never happens,” she said.
Karabo is among many other parents in the area who are struggling to find space for their kids.
On Wednesday, 28 February, residents held a meeting to discuss some of their grievances.
Speaking to Daily Sun on behalf of the group, Phathu Ndzimane said parents feel as though there's no urgency from the department to address the placement issue.
“We are going into the third month now and they still haven't been placed. Parents are worried. Many complain that they've been waiting with no communication from the department.
“They also noticed that those helping parents have an attitude and have no sense of urgency. Some of these kids have gone a year without being in school because of the same issue,” said Phathu.
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Phathu said many parents still have hope that their kids will be placed, but that hope is slowly dying.
Daily Sun also visited some parts of Diepsloot to engage with parents on their frustrations over placement and many of them had different stories.
One of the two families the SunTeam spoke to detailed how their children had moved from a private school to a public one due to financial constraints, while another family was forced to leave Diepsloot for Tshwane as they had found space that side.
Pupil Blessing Sikade (10) said: "I'm home and miss everything about school. I'm worried that I'm not learning anything."
The Gauteng Department of Education insisted that they are pulling all the stops to ensure that all kids are behind a desk and learning.
Department spokesman Steve Mabona said: "Over the past week, we've admitted over a hundred pupils, most of whom we are placing in neighbouring schools. Subsequently, this has led to inevitable overcrowding. All schools in Diepsloot have been at full capacity for quite some time now.
“To ensure that all pupils are accommodated, we're in the process of opening a satellite school in Diepsloot with the aim to alleviate admission pressure.”
While the department is aware of the time pupils have lost while looking for space, Mabona said catch up programmes will be implemented accordingly for new pupils.
In the meantime, he has urged parents to be patient as they continue the process of placing all pupils.
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