According to the Department of Education, the application process is uncomplicated and can be completed in three easy steps.
PARENTS in the Northern Cape can from September 14, 2020, apply for placement at any public school in the Province from the comfort of their home following the launch of the Online Admission System on Wednesday (September 2, 2020).
The application process is, according to the Northern Cape Education Department, uncomplicated and can be completed in three easy steps.
The system requires parents or guardians to first register, after which they have to fill in their personal details and then the details of the learner.
Applicants will be granted an opportunity to apply to five different schools of their choice.
Parents will, after completion of the application, be sent an instant SMS acknowledging receipt of their application.
Parents will also be required to upload documents, such as their identity documents, the birth certificate and latest school results of the learner, as well as the school results of siblings where applicable, when applying.
The Premier of the Northern Cape, Dr Zamani Saul, officially launched the system on Wednesday, hailing it as a milestone for the Province.
Saul said the launch, however, was bitter-sweet as it occurred in the absence of the late MEC of Education, Mac Jack, who died from Covid-19.
Saul said the new system would put the Province on the map and in the same category as other provinces.
“During my first State of the Province Address in 2019, I indicated that we want a Province that is modern, growing and keeping pace with the cutting-edge of technology. With this new system, parents no longer have to spend nights at the gates of schools to register their children. We have visited other provinces, such as Gauteng, in order to learn and also to eliminate any mistakes the other provinces have encountered to ensure that the system runs smoothly.”
He added that the launch of the online admission system was not only at the centre of creating an admission system that would be without glitches but would also set the tone and add to the province’s vision of creating a government that kept pace with technology.
Saul said the new system would also ensure that every child had access to education.
“Our enrolment percentage is currently at 95% but we must try to achieve a 100% enrolment. We will, after the new MEC has been inaugurated, embark on an enrolment brigade. During the brigade we will be going door-to-door to ensure that every child is registered and attends school,” he said.
Saul said community members who did not have access to Internet services would not be left behind.
“We are particularly mindful of the fact that our communities do not all have the same access to the Internet and related services. As a response to this challenge, we have in the interim directed that there must be walk-in centres where parents will be assisted. Currently there are 199 walk-in centres across all five districts in the Province,” Saul said.
He warned that the success of an application for a specific school was determined by the requirements stated on the application.
“The success of the application is determined on whether the learner already has a sibling attending the school of application. A sibling means a learner who has at least one parent who is also the parent of a learner already attending that school and he or she resides in the same household as that child already attending the school.
“It also depends on whether a learner has a parent or guardian who is an employee at the school applied for. Another requirement is whether the place of residence of the applicant is in the same suburb or adjacent to the school applied for. It also depends on whether there is space available at the school after all the above-mentioned applicants have been admitted. Then only will other applicants be considered,” he said.
Saul advised the team who implemented the system that they speedily needed to work on a way to inform parents about the progress of their applications.
“The minor matter which needs to be addressed by the team is the feedback on the application. Parents will be sent an SMS to acknowledge receipt of their application, however, there needs to be continuous communication with the parent on the progress of their application. There needs to be a time-frame set whereby parents will receive feedback on their applications as well as when they will know if their application has been successful. This communication will eliminate anxiety among parents and also prevent parents from coming to the district offices,” said Saul.
Saul called on the communities to work in partnership with the department to make the system a success.
