Pretoria – Acting Gauteng Premier, Barbara Creecy, says the Gauteng Provincial Government is satisfied that the Department of Education, with the assistance of technical experts, has done everything possible to ensure uninterrupted operation of the online learner application system.
In a statement on Thursday, the Acting Premier said the MEC for Education, Panyaza Lesufi, has kept her up to date with the implementation of the online learner application system.
“As the Acting Premier, I also received regular reports on the implementation of the system, including measures that the Department of Education was implementing to resolve initial technical glitches that the system experienced.”
Gauteng residents experienced a slight delay in the online learner application website. The delay was caused by technical difficulties with GPS coordinates that were generating wrong school data. This meant people in informal settlements could not locate their schools.
The system had to be shut down, re-programmed and tested. The website went live at 14:30 on Tuesday.
The acting Premier said the system was introduced to ease the application process.
“It was never meant to exclude any learners from applying for admission to any of the Gauteng public schools. Accordingly, the Gauteng Provincial Government has taken steps to ensure that no learners are denied the right to access to basic education,” she said.
Since the system went live on Wednesday, 228 302 applications were processed in 48 hours.
The Department of Education is deploying officials to all public schools in the province to assist parents who do not have access to the internet to apply for the placement of their children.
The acting Premier called upon all parents who are unable to register online to visit their schools where officials will assist them to apply. Parents can also visit community libraries, Thusong Service Centres, help desks in district offices of the Department of Education and Teacher Development Centres for assistance.
The application period is open from 19 April 2016 until 1 June 2016. The placement of learners will commence from 24 June until 25 July 2016. – SAnews.gov.za
