An admission dispute at Hoërskool Akasia, north of Pretoria, has sparked a week-long protest by parents. They are camping outside the school and claim that learner placements are unfair, the process lacks transparency, and school management may be interfering in admissions.
Parents say they have repeatedly asked for places for their children but were told there was no space, even though many live within one to two kilometres of the school. They believe local children should be prioritised over learners coming from areas such as Mabopane and Soshanguve. Some parents also accuse teachers and management of reserving spaces for relatives and friends, which they say allows learners from outside the feeder area to be admitted first.
Parents are frustrated by changing explanations from the school and say several children still do not have confirmed placements, causing them to miss important learning time. “No child should be sitting at home while schools are operating. It is almost halfway through the term and our children are falling behind because of administrative issues,” said parent Palesa Monareng.
The EFF Educational Desk’s Prince Shabangu said the school must be transparent in the admissions process. He criticised the placement of children far from their homes while local learners are left out.
The Gauteng Department of Education said the allegations have not been formally reported, but claims of corruption are taken seriously and action will be taken if proven. Spokesperson Steve Mabona explained that admissions for grades one and eight are handled through the provincial online system according to placement criteria. Objections and appeals can be submitted if parents are unhappy with placements, and outcomes are issued within fourteen days. Appeals are final and no alternative placements are offered afterwards.
While the department did not confirm whether the official feeder-zone policy was breached at Hoërskool Akasia, it said all objections and appeals are assessed according to regulations to ensure fairness.
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