Gauteng Parents Frustrated As Placement Backlog Leaves 1 300 Learners Stranded, Motshekga Calls for Calm

• Gauteng parents are furious after 1 300 learners have yet to be placed in school as the academic year begins
• The Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga has asked parents to remain calm as the department works to remedy the situation
• The minister insists the online registration system is not to blame for overcrowding in schools in the province

JOHANNESBURG - Gauteng parents are up in arms after flaws in the online registration system and placement backlogs have left 1 300 primary and high school pupils stranded, without school admissions.

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has called for calm as her department aims to resolve the issue within 10 days. The minister added that, though the situation was far from perfect, she was pleased that at least 99.5% of earners had been placed in schools, EWN reported.

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The children have been struggling to be placed because there is no space in schools in the province, however, Motshekga claimed that the overcrowding had nothing to do with the online booking system.

The basic education minister defended the system while addressing journalists at the Cosmos City Primary School on Wednesday, 11 January. According to IOL, Motshekga said overcrowding existed before the department switched to the online booking system.

Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane said that the education department was working to get children into classrooms and has procured 419 mobile classrooms and is building 219 brick classrooms to accommodate the unplaced learners.

Chiloane added that the department would provide catch-up classes for the lessons the learners missed in the interim.

South Africans react to the unplaced Gauteng learners

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Citizens are fed up with the level of incompetence in the South African government.

Here is what people are saying:

@jakkals90210 commented:

"The greatest showman, Lesufi's, legacy."

@zane_o_jhb added:

"Thick as a brick."

@MthobisiSoko asked:

"Why can't they build other schools? These old ministers must just be relieved from their job and replaced by new, young professionals instead."

@somkheleomkhulu questioned:

"When will we stop being subjected to this mediocrity @PresidencyZA."

@mr_meowgs complained:

"Corrupt rubbish."

Talented Girl, 8, goes viral after impressively playing the piano at a Cape Town Mall, leaves peeps fascinated

In another story, Briefly News reported that a musically talented girl amazed local shoppers and South Africans at large, after immaculately playing the piano at Table Bay Mall.

A video posted by Desmond Wells on Facebook shows the eight-year-old pianist flicking her fingers away at the piano keys with great skill as she plays a classic tune.

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“Eight-year-old girl stunned everyone when she started playing the piano in Table Bay Mall! Her talent needs to be shown to the world ,” Desmond wrote.

Source: Briefly News