2025 school year kicks off with frustration for some parents
The start of the 2025 school year has not been smooth for some parents as the first day saw many left frustrated.
The 2025 school year officially began on Wednesday, 15 January, but many parents and their children remain in limbo, still struggling to secure placements in several provinces.
Some parents in Johannesburg reportedly said they had received placement for their children. However, they were allegedly turned away with their little ones on the first day for numerous reasons, reported IOL on 15 January 2025.
PARENTS TURNED AWAY WITH THEIR KIDS AT START OF 2025 SCHOOL YEAR
IOL reports that some parents from Cosmo City, North of Johannesburg, were left frustrated on Wednesday morning. This is after they were turned away with their children who were excited and ready to start the 2025 school year.
Parents who said they enrolled their kids at Tswelelopele Primary School in Zandspruit, alleged they were turned away for not having the required documents. These documents range from Title Deeds as proof of residence to the children’s birth certificates and school transfers.
The Gauteng province had 124 Grade One and Eight learners still unplaced at the end of 2024. However, this number was expected to increase drastically due to thousands of applications being rejected.
THOUSANDS OF LEARNERS IN LIMBO IN THE WESTERN CAPE
Thousands of learners are still unplaced in the Western Cape as the 2025 school year starts. About 400 Grade One and over 2 000 Grade Eight learners are unplaced, reported Cape Town Etc on 15 January 2025.
Western Cape Education Department ( WCED) Spokesperson Bronagh Hammond spoke about the placement issue. He was reported as saying the numbers continue to increase as they receive late applications.
Hammond further said: “While the number of learners requiring placement has decreased since the beginning of December, we have received additional extremely late applications, which has made this a moving target. We are, however, in a better position than most previous years and are looking at placement opportunities.”
SCHOOL PLACEMENT ISSUES AT OTHER PROVINCES AT START OF 2025 SCHOOL YEAR
Other provinces around the country are also struggling to get all the learners placed in schools as the 2025 school year commences. According to Mpumalanga Education MEC, Cathy Dlamini, 7 924 Grade One and Eight learners are unplaced in the province.
TimesLIVE also reports that over 7 000 pupils are unplaced in the Free State. A majority of them are going to Grade Eight. The North West also has over 900 Grade Eight learners still needing placement.