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Eyewitness News
29-05-2025
- General
- Eyewitness News
Grade R learners don't have automatic entry to Grade 1 in same school, says GDE
JOHANNESBURG - The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) is reminding parents that their children in Grade R do not automatically have admission to Grade 1 at the same school. This comes as some schools don't cater for Grade R, making it unfair to exclude external applicants. The GDE's MEC, Matome Chiloane, said that all Grade R applicants needed to apply when online admissions opened on 24 July 2025. Applicants for grades 1 and 8 will have until 29 August to secure their spots for the 2026 academic year. Chiloane added that this means the BELA (Basic Education Laws Amendment) Act can't be fully implemented, which makes Grade R compulsory for all children, when some schools don't have it. "Up until we get to that point, we know that all our schools have Grade R, we can then start working towards those applications."
IOL News
29-05-2025
- General
- IOL News
Gauteng Education Department announces critical 2026 admission process for Grade 1 and Grade 8
Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane has announced online admission dates for the 2026 academic year. Image: Timothy Bernard / Independent Newspapers The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has officially announced its admission process for the 2026 academic year, with reports that the process will run until 29 August Online applications for Grade 1 and Grade 8 will open on July 24. On Thursday, Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane said while the focus of this year's admission process is on early primary education, he clarified that Grade R is not included at this stage. 'We are not starting with Grade R for now because we have not really, fully implemented BELA (Basic Education Laws Amendment), and not all schools have Grade R classes. Some schools collaborate with nearby Early Childhood Development centres,' Chiloane explained. He said this decision underscores the department's commitment to ensuring that foundational education is available and universally accessible before expanding the admission process to include younger learners. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Over the years, the province's online admissions system has faced many challenges, with parents decrying delays, technical glitches, limited school options, and difficulties for parents with poor internet access or limited digital literacy, as some of the most experienced challenges. On the issue of Grade R, the MEC indicated that parents of Grade R pupils must still apply for Grade 1, even if the child is continuing at the same school, and warned that no late applications will be accepted. 'We prioritise those who apply on time. Late applications, when we deal with them later on in the year, we would have forfeited a single right to identify a certain school that you would have wanted for your child. Even if that school is in your home feeder schools, you will still not get in if it's full, if you have not applied in time,' he added. As a precaution, Chiloane urged parents to apply to a minimum of three and a maximum of five schools to improve their chances of placement, adding that applying for one school does not improve the child's chances of acceptance. He further warned parents not to fall for scams that demand payment for assistance with the application process. 'There's no one who will guarantee you a space if you give them money. Those people you must bring them to me because we don't charge, it's free, it's a right.'
IOL News
14-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Minutes of ANC Meeting with Afrikaner community released as racial tensions grow
Kallie Kriel, right, and AfriForum leaders during their visit to the White House in the US. Kallie Kriel, right, and AfriForum leaders during their visit to the White House in the US. The recent release of minutes from a closed-door meeting between the ANC and leaders from the Afrikaner community has reignited debate over race relations in South Africa, with critics accusing both sides of deepening divisions rather than building bridges. The meeting, held earlier this year but only now made public, brought together ANC representatives and members of groups including AfriForum and Solidarity. The agenda included discussions on land reform, language rights in education, crime, and concerns over what Afrikaner representatives described as 'cultural marginalisation'. According to the minutes, Afrikaner leaders expressed alarm over the implementation of the Expropriation Bill, which they claim threatens property rights and disproportionately targets white landowners. They also raised objections to the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill, arguing that it undermines Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in schools and could erode the autonomy of historically Afrikaans institutions. In response, ANC officials emphasised the importance of redressing historical injustices and promoting inclusivity in education and land ownership. They reiterated that both the Expropriation and BELA bills are constitutional measures aimed at fostering equity across racial lines.'The ANC reaffirms its commitment to a non-racial, united South Africa,' the minutes quote a senior ANC figure as saying. ''But we must also confront the economic and spatial legacies of apartheid, which continue to disadvantage millions.'
