124 learners in Gauteng await placement for the 2025 academic year as the Department of Education tackles high demand in urban areas. MEC Matome Chiloane assures progress, saying, 'We are in a better position than ever since the introduction of online placement.
Image: Timothy Bernard
The Gauteng Department of Education announced significant progress in placing learners for the 2025 academic year during a briefing at Hoërskool Marais Viljoen in Alberton.
Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane expressed satisfaction with the online placement system while addressing the challenges that remain.
“The work we have done so far has placed us in a better position than ever since the introduction of online placement,” said Chiloane.
“I understand that there might be some questions and concerns here and there, but we’ve made significant progress.”
Out of 344,890 applications received for Grades 1 and 8, 325,858 students have been placed, leaving 19,032 applications incomplete due to missing documentation.
MEC Chiloane highlighted that 157,406 Grade 1 learners have been successfully placed, with all completed applications processed.
For Grade 8, 168,452 students have been placed, with only 124 still awaiting placement, primarily in the high-demand Kempton Park area.
Chiloane acknowledged the strain on infrastructure, stating, “Looking at the overall capacity, there are 427,725 available spaces across schools. However, these spaces don’t necessarily align with areas of high demand.
For instance, many people are relocating to central urban areas for better access and opportunities, leaving some schools in outlying areas underutilized.”
The department will address the challenge of overcrowding in high-pressure areas by installing 625 mobile units to create satellite schools in regions such as Lawley, Tembisa, and Eastvale.
Parents of the 124 unplaced learners have been invited to a meeting to finalize placements. Late applications will open on December 11 and run until January 30, 2025, allowing parents to select from schools with available capacity.
“We are confident that this will help finalize the placement process without unnecessary overcrowding or confusion.”
As Gauteng faces the dual pressures of rising demand in urban centers and overcrowding, the department remains focused on resolving these issues while meeting the needs of learners.
The success of the online placement system thus far has positioned the department to conclude the process effectively.
IOL
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