AfriForum and SOS demand postponement of GDE school admission notifications – legal action could follow

17 September 2019 

AfriForum and the organisation’s Skole-ondersteuningsentrum (SOS) have urgently requested the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) in a lawyer’s letter to delay the notification of school admissions until 16 October 2019. SMS notifications are sent to parents of prospective grade 1 and grade 8 learners to indicate school children’s admission for the 2020 school year. The request follows concerns raised to AfriForum and SOS by several AfriForum members who are also members of school governing bodies of schools around Gauteng.

Members provided proof of contradictions and irregularities on the admission lists that were issued to schools by the GDE. Some AfriForum members confirmed that these problems were brought to the GDE’s attention on numerous occasions, but that the so-called revised lists still contained the same or even new problems. 

“The GDE undertook in a letter on 27 August 2019 to resolve all inconsistencies prior to sending admission notifications to parents. It has however become clear that time has run out to address all these problems. Should admission notifications be sent to parents based on the current lists, it will result in widespread unhappiness and confusion among parents,” says Carien Bloem, AfriForum’s manager of Education.

According to the letter that was sent to the GDE, it has until close of business today to respond. Should no reaction or confirmation of postponement be received from the GDE, AfriForum and SOS will be forced to urgently approach the court to delay the sending of admission notifications until these problems are resolved. 

Any other complaints regarding Gauteng school admissions for 2020 can be sent to [email protected].

Issued by Hesti Steenkamp, Media Relations Officer, 17 September 2019