Parents, schools see red over Gauteng online placements
The civil rights organisation AfriForum is calling on Matome Chiloane, the MEC for Education in Gauteng, to provide clarity on the problems currently being experienced with school placements in Gauteng. This follows numerous complaints from parents in Pretoria and Centurion about incorrect or no placements of learners for the 2026 school year.
The problems that have resurfaced this year include that there is no correspondence or feedback on placements received, although placements have been taking place since October 16 – a month later than placements for the 2025 school year. It is also concerning that the placements have still not been completed by the first week of November.
Furthermore, incomplete communication about learners’ placement status puts parents under pressure while conditional choices are accepted as final placements by the system even though it is not the learner’s or parents’ first choice.
The placements are still ongoing, but there is a lot of uncertainty about when it will be completed and when the next group of learners will be placed. Furthermore, there are many schools with available places that are now being filled with learners who are not registered on their lists.
“The system is supposed to make the process easier for parents and schools, but after how many years the Gauteng Department of Education still cannot manage to make the process run problem-free,” says Carien Bloem, head of Education Projects at AfriForum.
“We are investigating the situation and have made a serious appeal to Chiloane via attorney’s letter to provide clarity on the problems regarding the placements as soon as possible and to communicate with parents and schools, who are negatively affected by this process, about the way forward,” Bloem concludes.
If there is any information that parents or schools would like to bring to AfriForum’s attention regarding the online registration and placement process, they are welcome to send an email to onderwys@afriforum.co.za.
