Back to school 2025: Scramble to place learners leaves parents frustrated

JOHANNESBURG - Some parents are beginning to lose hope their children will be placed in a school of their preference, as they struggle to find space for the 2025 academic year.

Hundreds of parents in grades 1 and 8 are stranded, with their children still without school. 

While some have been allocated schools, their parents are unhappy with the choices, citing concerns over distance and fees.  
  
One parent, whose child has not yet been placed in a school, arrived at one of the district centres in Johannesburg at 8am. By the end of the business day, he had still not been assisted.

He said this has left him wondering whether his son will be placed at a school of his choice, one he considers a good institution.

READ: Long queues form at GDE’s district office as desperate parents seek placement for children

"I am praying and hoping. I don’t have that hope. I'm just praying and hoping that it happens. So I'm just praying that I go inside."

Another parent says her daughter was placed at a school she can’t afford. 

"They need R6,000 upfront, which I don't have and I just lost my job. So it’s a struggle for me because it's either they place her in another school or she will have to be attended there. Something has to be done." 

She is just one of many parents who have raised similar frustrations.