Disgruntled parents of the 162 unplaced pupils have threatened to take their children to the Gauteng education department offices to be taught there after the provincial government failed to find space for them.
This comes as there has been no agreement with President High School where the pupils were supposed to be placed. The school had allegedly requested approval of a budget of R7m to build extra classes.
The pupils had been taught at Hill High School's old tuck shop and Sir John Adamson School hall in southern Johannesburg but as a result of the pandemic and Covid-19 regulations the schools could not accommodate them anymore and they were forced to stay at home.
Mandla Xaba, a parent of a grade 10 pupil, said the parents had no choice but to take their children to the offices of the Gauteng department of education.
“We have been very patient with the department but our pleas have fallen on deaf ears. Other learners are preparing for their school break whereas ours are sitting at home. Do you know how stressful it is to look at your child and tell him that he can't go to school? We then thought it would be a good idea to take them to the department’s offices so that they can teach them there,” Xaba said.
Earlier this month the parents resorted to the legal route and served the department with a letter of demand.
The letter from Macgregor-Erasmus Attorneys Inc dated August 26 2020 addressed to the MEC of the department and the head of the department said the future of 162 pupils was greatly being prejudiced by the department’s failure to find an adequate solution despite being given alternatives.
A parent, Sethu Krakra, who approached the attorneys, said they had to put the legal action on hold as the department promised to place the affected pupils.
“I will ask the attorneys to advise on how to go about with the case as our children are sitting doing nothing at home. We believed the department when they said our children were going to be placed but nothing has happened,” Krakra said.
Gauteng education spokesperson Steve Mabona said there were options being discussed with other neighbouring schools to accommodate the affected pupils.
"And we wish that parents could consider these schools, however our officials will in due course interact with parents accordingly," Mabona said.
Meanwhile, the department has commenced with the second phase of the 2021 online placement process for grades 1 and 8 pupils.
MEC Panyaza Lesufi said the process will take place from Thursday until November 30.
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