WATCH | Nearly 3,000 pupils remain unplaced at Gauteng schools

There were long queues at the Morningside Teaching Centre on Wednesday, where anxious parents and pupils from Midrand, Alexandra, Ivory Park and Tembisa gathered in the hope of securing school placements for the 2026 academic year.

Parents said they had arrived as early as dawn since Monday, with some spending the entire day in queues.

According to a security guard stationed at the centre, officials worked until about 11pm on Monday and Tuesday to assist parents.

“They closed very late, around 11pm, and today we don’t know what time they will close,” the guard said, adding staff inside the centre have been working extended hours to try to meet the high demand for placements.

Gauteng department of education spokesperson Steve Mabona said more than 2,000 pupils remain unplaced.

Parents raised concerns about long travel distances, language barriers and placements at schools they believe are not ready to accommodate pupils.

“We have 2,919 pupils who are unplaced, but we are confident that by the end of this month all will be placed,” Mabona said.

He acknowledged the challenges, saying parents fall into different categories.

“There are parents who applied late, those placed at alternative schools far from home, those who cannot afford school fees and others who are concerned about language,” Mabona said.

He said language-related complaints can be addressed more easily, while the department is negotiating with schools to increase capacity.

“School started on Monday and we are engaging schools to take in more pupils where possible. We are asking schools to increase their capacitiy,” he said.

One parent, Lungile Zwane, said she applied to five schools, Birchleigh Hoërskool, Jeugland, Midrand High, Sir Pierre van Ryneveld and Edenglen, but was told they had reached full capacity.

She said one school claimed her documents were missing, despite confirmation that they were received. She eventually agreed to have her child placed at Birch Acres Secondary due to time constraints, but said the situation there is unacceptable.

She said the grass was not cut and containers were being delivered.

“It’s like children are learning outside. No parent would take their children there. My daughter cried and said she would rather not go to school than attend that school,” Zwane said.

She raised concerns about language barriers after her child was placed at a school that only offers English and vernacular languages.

Zwane said her child has studied English and Afrikaans for the past seven years and has not taken Zulu or any other African language.

“My child cried and said she would rather miss the entire year than attend a school where she cannot cope with the language or the state of the facility,” the parent said.

She said the school principal acknowledged the school is new and developing.

“I cannot have faith in a school at the expense of my child’s education,” she said.

Mabona confirmed three new schools will be opened in Gauteng by March to ease pressure on the system.

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