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Thousands of Gauteng learners risk missing out on valuable learning and teaching time next year due to the late opening of online admissions.

The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) is failing to fast-track the opening of the 2024 online admissions. This will result in another disastrous late placement saga.

The Gauteng MEC for Education, Matome Chilone, must learn from his Western Cape and Limpopo counterparts who have already started preparing for the 2024 academic year.

Failure to open online registration timeously has created the same problems for learners, guardians, parents, and teachers year after year.

The delays in opening the online admission system have left thousands of learners unplaced and missing much-needed school time. In addition, the schools will be dumped with learners they are unable to accommodate, resulting in overcrowding in classrooms due to poor planning of the department.

For far too long, the DA has constantly urged the department to plan and implement the process without pressure.

MEC Matome is an absent leader and has no clue about running this department. If he did, he would have long heeded the DA’s call to open the online admission processes on time to ensure that all learners are placed before the commencement of the 2024 academic year.

The DA has already submitted questions for an oral reply to ascertain why there is a delay in starting this process. In the past, there were many problems experienced with the online system. The DA wants to ensure that all learners are placed before the end of the year and that all schools are provided with necessary resources like teachers, classrooms and textbooks.

Issued by Khume Ramulifho MPL - DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Education