Overview
- Thousands of parents lined up at Gauteng district education offices on Tuesday seeking placements for children still unassigned before the school year starts.
- Parents reported poor communication, missing documents and relocation hurdles, with many calling for the online application system to be scrapped in favor of in-person processes.
- The Gauteng Department of Education says it is finalising roughly 3,000 outstanding cases, noting pressure in Ekurhuleni and Johannesburg and challenges in inner grades.
- Some families accepted department-assigned schools to avoid children staying home, while others were told to return in ten days to check for preferred openings.
- Professional Teachers Union President Mkhuseli Dubula said practical conditions do not match readiness reports and that schools are not ready to open on Wednesday.