Question NW879 to the Minister of Basic Education

Reply:

a) The Department has instituted measures to ensure that the annual registrations for schools proceed smoothly in each province by holding scheduled meetings with all provincial co-ordinators who are at director level and responsible for admissions on a regular basis. They analyse the admissions processes in order to review and amend such processes to ensure that annual registration proceed efficiently from year to year. Provincial admissions co-ordinators share best practice as a way of bringing uniformity in the sector while taking into consideration provincial differences.

b) The following methods have been put in place for Provincial Departments to implement:

(i) Review Regulation/Circular;

(ii) Determine the admission period with a comprehensive management plan (timeframes) mapping out:

• Application Period – distribution of admission forms, when parents return forms, information on documentation needed;
• Management of registration – clear criteria for waiting lists and process to rank applications using feeder schools and residential information as examples, depending on provincial Regulation;
• The period to inform parents on the status of their children’s application;
• Period of placement of learners with information on period to lodge appeals, where to find support if a learner is not placed with contact details of provincial and district officials responsible admissions; and
• Clear strategies on admission of non-citizens.

(iii) Establish admission teams at provincial and district level;

(iv) Mediate admission Circular to schools;

(v) Ratify admission policies of schools;

(vi) Conduct advocacy campaigns to inform parents about early registration and provide all the necessary information about admission processes;

(vii) Place all admission information on the provincial website;

(viii) Monitor admission processes in schools and intervene where there is non-compliance with policy;

(iX) Identify hotspots and develop strategies to address them;

(x) Create a rapid response team to handle grievances and appeals;

(xi) Resolve/ mediate appeals within the shortest period possible;

(xii) Compile report and update figures monthly for the DBE is attention as per the requirement of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education; and

(xiii) Make requisition for additional resources (classrooms, teachers).

The most recent inter-provincial meetings on admissions took place on 6 and 7 December 2016, 7 March 2017 and 29 March 2017. Follow-up meetings focusing on progress reporting in terms of planned admissions activities are scheduled quarterly on the following dates:

1. 7 May 2017;
2. 6 August 2017; and
3. 28 November 2017.

c) Late registrations are centralised in districts as a measure to address disruptions caused by late registrations. This is also meant to prevent parents from disrupting teaching and learning by moving from school to school seeking placement for their children. Districts establish admission teams which collect admission information on available spaces in schools so as to direct learners seeking admission late to such schools accordingly. Letters are issued by disticts directors to schools with spaces available to ease the challenges of late registration.