Lesufi to frustrated parents: ‘All learners will be placed, but not at preferred schools

Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi has reassured frustrated parents that their children will be placed at public schools across the province, despite the ongoing challenges they face in securing spots for their children.

The Gauteng Education Department has now extended the deadline for online placements for Grade 1s and Grade 8s to January 30, in response to their pleas. 

While schools reopened on Wednesday, for the 2025 academic year, many parents and their children were left frustrated as some learners were not placed in schools, despite being approved for placement last year.

Lesufi, together with education officials, welcomed learners to back schools, but was met with complaints from parents struggling to secure spaces.

He visited the Raymond Mhlaba School of Specialisation, which achieved a 100% matric pass rate, and was met with concerns about placement issues.

He assured frustrated parents who were queuing up for secure space for their children that all the children would be accommodated.

“I said to the MEC (Matome Chiloane) don't close. No parent must be closed out. The mere fact that parents prefer to come to Gauteng, we must accept that,” he said.

Each and every year, Gauteng faces a large number of learner enrolment, compounded by placement backlogs, overcrowding, dilapidated infrastructure, poor sanitation facilities.

The issue of parents queuing in scorching heat with hope of securing spaces for their children has become a norm in Gauteng.

However, Lesufi has acknowledged the challenges, stating that even last year they encountered the same problems, but they managed to address them.

“It's got its own challenges, but it's an issue that we manage every year. Last year we had almost close to 5,000 people on the waiting list. We all placed them.”

Lesufi acknowledged that the issue of placement in public schools in the province is a big problem.

“The problem is the pace. Parents believe that they must place them today because schools are opening today. Whereas we need to take what we call 10-day statistics.”

He said they will go to all the schools to check which ones are opening and based on that they will start placements.

“So all the parents that are on the queue, all the parents that need, if you are in Gauteng, your child will be placed,” Lesufi  said.

Though he assured frustrated parents that their children would be placed, he said they might not get their preferred school.

“The only challenge is that you might not be placed at the school that you want, but to be placed, you are going to be placed.”

Since the reopening of school, parents across the province have flooded to schools with hopes of securing spaces.

Many have called for the online application system of applying for school placement to be scrapped, as they face difficulties in securing placements.

In response to their concerns, the Gauteng Education Department has now extended the deadline for online placements and will operate seven days a week to address the backlog.

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