Educationist praises revolutionary online registration system
ALEXANDRA – Gauteng Department of Education allays fears about registration process at schools
As a tinge of anxiety engulfs pupils and parents as they brace themselves for the start of the 2017 school year on 11 January, the Joburg East District has allayed concerns about any delays.
This especially in the townships, where in the past classes were delayed by the admission process.
The director for Joburg East District, Gauteng Department of Education, Mnyamezeli Ndevu allayed this concern, stating that all 158 schools in the district, including Alexandra, will commence teaching and learning on the first day. This will be made possible because of the newly introduced online registration system.
Ndevu said the system was fraught with challenges when it was introduced, including threats of legal action by some quarters, and during its on and off piloting process during the registration process between 19 April and 1 June last year and late registrations which closed on 30 November.
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“At the end, the department was vindicated with 19 305 Grade 1 and 8 pupils registered and placed in schools,” said Ndevu. “They constitute 81 per cent for Grade 1 and 76 per cent of Grade 8. The balance of the placements will have been done when schools start.”
The system, he said, was revolutionary and enabled equal access to education. “It’s tamper-proof and monitored by the department to ensure the registration was based on a first come first served basis and is not manipulated by schools, especially against children from poor backgrounds who are entitled to enroll in schools in affluent areas because of their parents’ residence and workplace.” This, he said, would de-racialise and demolish class-based barriers for schoolchildren to be able to access quality education and will also promote social cohesion.
Ndevu said there were still other challenges, including security for the e-learning electronic system. “Some of Alexandra schools are now fully equipped as e-learning hubs whose classrooms should now be paperless after the teachers were also trained.
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“It’s imperative for the community to ensure the safety of the costly electronic investment – the smart boards, notebooks and laptops distributed to pupils and teachers by the government for their own children’s education.” This he added, would enhance the children’s capacity to conduct research and be part of global trends in education.
Another challenge was the continued support of matrics at weekend and holiday study camps. “Five hundred and eight Grade 12s from Alexandra schools attended a two-week camp in October [last year] for extra lessons in mathematics, accounting, science, biology, geography and English.”
Teenage pregnancy was another concern which Ndevu attributed to poverty. “Ninety-eight pupils in the district declared themselves pregnant. Our concern is their vulnerability to HIV/Aids and a ruined future at the hands of sugar daddies who entice them with short-term material rewards. They will be trapped in the welfare system for grants for the upkeep [of their children].” Ndevu said many of these girls were from child-headed households or homes with no source of income.
He added that the district would also intensify a drive for sanitary pads to ensure schoolgirls did not miss out on school during their monthly menstruation period. Also, he urged foreign nationals to update their children’s documents to enable them to access their results when they have completed matric.
Details: Joburg East District Gauteng Dept of Education 011 666 9002.
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