Enough room for every learner - Creecy

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Soweto - Gauteng Education MEC Barbara Creecy has assured parents that the department will accommodate all late registrations despite an expected learner influx.

She said by working with schools and school governing bodies in the province, these placements would be finalised as early as Friday.

Yesterday the department indicated that is was expecting an influx of new pupils who missed the registration period last year or recently moved to Gauteng.

The MEC, accompanied by Premier Nomvula Mokonyane, today visited Kelekitso Secondary School in Meadowlands, Soweto to assess the school's readiness for the 2010 academic year.

Earlier in the day, anxious parents queued outside the school hoping to register their children for the new school year. School principal, Ephraim Lekaba, said this was nothing new.

"For some reason, parents do not follow the department's guidelines to register early. So today we have had an influx of parents who are only now registering their children."

Over the last years the school has systematically clawed its way to the top after once performing so poorly that it almost closed down.

In 2007 the pass rate was 38 percent, but this was improved in 2008 to 89 percent. The school achieved a 58 percent pass for 2009.

Lekaba said constant motivation and being very strict on discipline had contributed to the success of the school.