Thousands still need to be placed in Gauteng schools
The Department of Education in Gauteng says it still needs to place 58 000 Grade 1 and 8 learners in schools for the 2017 academic year.
This comes two days ahead of schools reopening for this year.
Education spokesperson Oupa Bodiba says they remain optimistic.
"The schools are reopening and the administrators will be going to schools today, so they will be able to update the system. Many of our parents will know today where they are supposed to take their children," says Bodibe.
Bodibe encourages parents who did not make use of the online system to apply for placement to go to the education offices in their districts.
"They will not receive assistance at schools. Schools will be processing all the admissions related matters," says Bodibe.
He says parents who applied on time will receive an SMS of an offer of placement.
"We are looking forward to a smooth opening of schools on 11 January. We are ready as a department and we will work with the parents who have not received any offers of placement to finalise those matters," says Bodibe.
Meanwhile, there has been some dissatisfaction with the new placement system.
Siphokazi from Voslorus says her brother who is going to Grade 8 only got one option, and it's not a schools near his home or a parent's work place.
"The schools in the area he attended primary school and we applied at all declined. The only one that accepted is in Windmill Park which is in an informal settlement. Now my dad has to go and apply for him at a private school, because we don't have any other options. Time has run out and he doesn't have a school," says Siphokazi.