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A school classroom.
Frustration turned into determination as thousands of Gauteng parents queued outside district offices for the Gauteng Department of Education to secure school placements for their children for this year.
From the early hours, they lined up at local education offices, seeking answers and solutions amid challenges such as no, or delayed communication, missing documents and relocation hurdles.
There were snaking queues as hundreds of frustrated parents braved the scorching sun on Tuesday, pleading for assistance in securing school placements before the academic year begins.
Many parents insist they followed all required admission procedures, yet their efforts appear fruitless. Some are even calling for the online application system to be scrapped.
“I am not sure if I am going to win and also, I don’t know what is happening. I don’t know what is happening. I have been here since from the morning but as you can see the line moves very slow,” a parent said.
“Even the queue is very long. I don’t even think help will be found at a right time because by now I should be knowing that I have a uniform and my stationery but now the pressure is being put on my dad. I don’t know what is going to happen,” a parent explains.
“It is so not working. It has been years people complaining. Even last year people complained. Even this year the procedure is still the same. The department should just go back to the old way where parents were applying at schools because that worked so much better than this online thing” another parent elaborates.
The situation is causing anxiety for the affected learners.
A teachers’ union has warned that schools are not prepared for Wednesday’s reopening, citing evident flaws in the system.
“Out of noticing that the online admissions have its own flaws along the way. It shows that the schools are not ready. Even with the starting of the school tomorrow. We are not ready. We know that we cannot change anything. But what we see is that we are not ready. Even the school readiness report that has been submitted if you can compare it practically with what is happening. You will notice that schools are not ready to open tomorrow,” says Professional Teachers Union President Mkhuseli Dubula.
However, the department maintains that it is finalising the placement process and is fully aware of the specific areas that require attention.
“We are finalising that process. We have just 3 000 of those whom we are finalising the process in terms of the placements, we know where we are pressured. That is Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg. Also, we have inner grades that are a challenge,” says Gauteng Education Spokesperson Steve Mabona.
Some desperate parents ended up accepting those schools that were offered by the department for their children, fearing that if they don’t take them their children might end up staying at home for the whole year.
Others say they were told to come back after ten days to check with the department if there is space at a school of their choice.
Video: Back to school 2026 | Preparations for reopening of schools in Gauteng
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udttXG8k1YY
