From the news desk

Enrol your child early, warns WCED

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Parents have been advised to enrol their children early for the next academic year. The enrolment deadline for the 2016 school year has been shifted forward to allow for better logistical preparations on the part of schools and the Western Cape Education Department (WCED). The registration process is conducted during two separate phases annually, the latter of which usually concludes around August or September. However the department has opted to move that deadline to the 30th June, which will allow for quicker student placements and in turn quicker allocation of the necessary schooling facilities.

The registration period opens in March each year, but the Western Cape in particular has seen high instances last minute applications. This has often led to instances where potential students have gone without placement.

MEC for Education, Debbie Schafer reiterated that the earlier deadline would seek to make it possible for schools and the department to make necessary arrangements to accommodate all learners.

“We’ve got to make sure we have enough schools, classrooms, textbooks, and teachers and so on. It does create a lot of problems if we don’t know the numbers well in advance,” she explained.

In a bid to pressure parents to get their children enrolled in time, the WCED has launched an intensive media drive. These include radio advertisements on some of the provinces major stations, mobile billboards in areas where there are high rates of enrolment, as well as displays in public transportation like taxis. In addition the department has also embraced social media, using the once popular Mxit application to spread awareness of the campaign.

Apart from creating logistical problems for the department, Schafer admitted there were also consequences for those parents who chose to submit enrolments on the last minute.

“There are consequences in that they will get a far less choice of schools. The earlier you get in the more likely you are to get a school of choice,” she stated.

Registrations for the 2016 academic year close on the 30th June 2015. VOC (Mubeen Banderker)


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