UMnyango WezeMfundo
Department of Education
Lefapha la Thuto
Departement van Onderwys
Circular 38 / 2004
Date: 24 June 2004
Management of admissions to
public ordinary schools for
2005
Topic
Annexure A: Process Map
Annexure B: Form 1 & 2: Admissions Form
Enclosures
Annexure C: Form C1: GDE Admissions
Appeal Form
Annexure D: Form 3: District Reporting
Format

Divisional Managers and Senior
FORMManagers
3: DISTRICT
REPORTING
at Head
Office and FORMAT
District
Offices;

Principals of all public ordinary schools; and

Members of Governing Bodies
This information must be forwarded to all
learners, parents and caregivers
Distribution
Enquiries
On request, this circular will be
made available in isiZulu, Sepedi
and Afrikaans within 21 days
GET Directorate
Tel: 011- 355 0632
082 858 2055
Also available on the GDE website: www.education.gpg.gov.za
Office of the Chief Executive Officer
Room 1009, 111 Commissioner Street, Johannesburg 2001 P.O. Box 7710, Johannesburg, 2000.
Tel: (011) 355-1511 Fax: (011) 333-5546 E-mail: ceogde@gpg.gov.za OR mallelep@gpg.gov.za
English: Page 1 of 7
ADMISSION OF LEARNERS TO PUBLIC ORDINARY SCHOOLS
1.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this circular is:
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
To align the provincial admission processes with the latest legislation;
To replace Circular 59/2002 and 36/2003;
To advise principals on administrative procedures for admissions in 2005; and
To refer principals and School Governing Bodies to the relevant legislation in order to
ensure compliance around admissions into public ordinary schools.
2.
LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
2.6
Constitution of South Africa
South African Schools Act, 1996 (Act No. 84 of 1996)
Admission of Learners to Public Schools (General Notice 4138 of 2001)
Education Law Amendment Act, 2002 (The Amendment of section 5 of Act 84 of
1996)
Gauteng School Education Act, 1995 (Act No. 6 of 1995)
Language in Education Policy (NEPA Act 27 of 1996).
3.
INTRODUCTION
3.1
The management arrangements for admissions to public ordinary schools in 2005 is
framed by the legislation referred to in paragraph 2. Principals and School Governing
Bodies must familiarize themselves with this legislation and specifically the issues
around:
 Legislated admission forms;
 Rights and obligations of parents;
 Fast-track programmes; and
 Unfair discrimination
4.
MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES OF ADMISSIONS
4.1
The Role of the Head of Department (HOD)
The Head of Department is responsible for the administration of the admission of
learners to a public school. The HOD must ensure that the issue of access, equity,
redress and compulsory attendance of learners at school is realized through
monitoring of the admissions process. A Head Office team has been established in the
Directorate: General Education and Training to facilitate this process.
4.2
The Role of the Head of the District
The HOD delegates the responsibility for the administration of admissions to the
Head of the District in the following areas:
English: Page 2 of 7
4.2.1
4.2.2
4.2.3
Ratify and certify the school admissions policy submitted by the School Governing
Body.
Ensure policy compliance by principals and to institute disciplinary measures if noncompliance is proved.
Establish a District Admissions Team and centralised clusters that will oversee and
Support schools in the administration of admissions. The District Admissions
Coordinators are:
District
D1: Gauteng North
GPA Building (Block B)
Cnr Bosman & Pretorius Str
PRETORIA
D2: Gauteng West
Cnr Human & Boshoff Str
KRUGERSDORP
D3: Tshwane North
GPA Building (Block C)
Cnr Bosman & Pretorius Str
PRETORIA
D4: Tshwane South
Lenahof
Cnr Gerhard Moerdyk &
Walker Str, Sunnyside,
PRETORIA
D5: Ekurhuleni East
56 Woburn Ave
Momentum Building, BENONI
D6: Ekurhuleni West
Fuchs Building
1st Floor
6 Old Vereeniging Road
Alrode, ALBERTON
D7: Sedibeng East
GPG Building
1A Blesbok Street
VEREENIGING
D8: Sedibeng West
Goodyear Building
Goodyear Street
VANDERBIJLPARK
D9: Johannesburg East
Educon Building
125 Simmonds Str
BRAAMFONTEIN
Name of admissions
team leader
Herbert Nkosi
Temporary
Cell
082 858 3682
District Office
Number
012 326 6819
Shaeda Dadabhay
082 858 8926
011-660 4581
082 858 9627
012-303 2924/
012 323 9017
Paula Galego
082 858 9556
012-341 6362
Pamela Belwane
082 858 3612
011-812-2700
Seeram Chetty
Frans Grobler
082 858 6475
011-389-6246
011 389 6241
Sarie Hartzenberg
Jeanette Dreyer
082 858 8099
016-422 4363
016-430-9331
Jeff Zwane
082 858 9743
016-933 3300
Tlhage Petlele
082 858 0595
011-408 9200
Maritjie Human
English: Page 3 of 7
D10: Johannesburg North Joyce Legoete
4th Floor Corner House
Cnr Sauer & Commissioner
Jhb
D11: Johannesburg South Robert Abrahams
Soweto College
Mojadiji Road, SOWETO
D12: Johannesburg West Sophia de Beer
Fedmond Building
Cnr Crownwood & Kimberlite
Str, ORMONDE
Head Office
Tenji Marolen
111 Commissioner St JHB
CALL CENTRE NUMBER: 0800 005 175
082 858 2175
011-355 5545
082 858 0952
011-933 1093
082 858 3414
011-496 2590
0828582055
011-355-0632
4.2.4
The District Admission Coordinator will be contactable via the numbers and address
above for the duration of the admissions and late-admissions period, i.e. from July
2004 – March 2005.
4.2.5
Ensure that the contact details of the District Admission Coordinators are made
available to the parents of learners via the media together with the call centre
number.
4.2.6
Ensure that the District Admissions Coordinators are supported by the IDS officials in
clusters and the LETUs who will work with the relevant schools.
4.2.7
Ensure that by the end of November 2004 all learners on the waiting lists are placed.
4.2.8
Make sure that monthly reports on the process of admissions are written and sent to
GET Head Office (13th floor Room 1325) on the provided format by the first (1st)
Friday of the month.
NOTE: The Head of the District will take full responsibility for all learners that are
not placed subject to 4.2.7.
4.3
The Role and Responsibility of the Principal
4.3.1
The HOD hereby delegates the responsibility for the administration of the admission
of learners to the principals of schools, in consultation with the District Admissions
Coordinators. The principal is hereby entrusted to ensure that procedurally, and in
line with this circular and related legislation, the administration of admissions is
carried out and time frames are adhered to.
4.3.2
The delegation under paragraph 4.3.1 does not prevent the HOD from exercising
such power or performing such duty, in cases where the principals of schools do not
comply with the legal requirements and procedures in line with this circular.
English: Page 4 of 7
4.3.3
The principal remains accountable for the administration of admissions and
should not delegate this authority further.
4.3.4
The admission age of a learner to a public school to Grade 1 is age five (5) turning six
(6) by 30 June in the year of admission. However, should the parents of the learners
in consultation with the principal and the Head of the District Office be of the opinion
that the child is not school ready, permission for school exemption may be sought
from the Head of the Department.
4.3.5
Administration of admissions includes the issuing of transfer cards to parents moving
to a new school, forwarding learner information to the new school in the form of
documentation, keeping a register of admissions to the school in the required format,
maintaining the required waiting lists, liaising with the district admissions team and
forwarding admission data to the Head of the District when required.
4.3.6
Where there is an approved GDE Grade R site at a public primary school, the principal
must admit learners into Grade R as per administration measures as indicated in this
circular and in line with the age requirements as indicated in the Education Law
Amendment Act of 2002.
4.3.7
If the principal refuses to admit a learner to a school, he or she must provide reasons
in writing for his or her decision to the Head of Department and the parent. The
Head of Department must then either confirm or set aside the decision made by the
principal. The principal must keep a record of such letters and be in a position to
supply such when required by the District
4.3.8
The principal must request in writing for the school to be declared full from the Head
of the District or (the most senior manager in the District).
 NOTE: It is not the function or role of the principal to determine whether a
school-ready learner is to be admitted to a school or not, other than if the
school has been declared full. A school can only be declared full by the Head
of the District.
 Language preferences of learners should be managed through the provisions
of the Language in Education Policy.
4.4
The Role of the School Governing Body
The School Governing Body of the school must:
4.4.1
Determine the admissions policy of a school in terms of section 5(5) of the South
African Schools Act, the Admission of Learners to Public Schools (General Notice
4138 of 2001) and in accordance with the guidelines stipulated in section 5(1) of
the Education Policy Act, 1998 (Act 12 of 1998).
4.4.2
Develop language policy for the school only after learners have been admitted. It
must be stressed though that the language policy of the school need to be reviewed
in line with parental choice for their children who are learners after prescribed due
processes have been complied with.
English: Page 5 of 7
4.4.3
Encourage parents to apply for admission of their children before the end of the
preceding school year and specifically between July and the end of September.
4.4.4
Inform all parents of learners admitted to a school of their rights and obligations
in terms of the South African Schools Act, 1996, and any applicable provincial law.
4.4.5
Make a copy of the admissions policy of the school available to the Head of the
District by the end of April for ratification.
5.
REGISTRATION AND ADMISSION OF LEARNERS
5.1
The registration process begins in July 2004 and ends at the end of September 2004.
All learners on waiting lists should be notified of the outcome of the application for
admission by the end of October 2004. Late registration is managed as per legislation
by the Head of the District and District Admissions Coordinators.
5.2
In the event of a school being declared full by the Head of the District, it is expected
of the principal to submit all waiting lists of successful and unsuccessful learners to
the Head of the District to facilitate placement of such learners.
6.
SCHOOL ZONING
6.1
The temporary feeder zones for the purposes of admission for the school year 2005,
is the nearest school to the parents home address or place of work in relation to the
parents choice of medium of instruction after all due processes have been complied
with.
6.2
Preference must be given to a learner in terms of 6.1.
a. Parents living in the area including domestic employees.
b. Parents working in the area.
c. Learners from the feeder Primary school.
6.3
A learner who does not qualify in terms of 6.2 is not precluded from seeking
admission at whichever school he or she chooses, but will be placed on waiting
list B and will only be informed of the outcome of his/her placement not later than
the end of November 2004.
7.
APPEALS
7.1
A parent of a learner who is dissatisfied with the decision of the principal not to admit
the learner to the school must be given reasons in writing and a copy of the Appeal
Form – GDE Admission 04 (Annexure 2).
English: Page 6 of 7
7.2
The form and the supporting documents must be submitted to the Senior Manager of
the GET Directorate in Head Office for the attention of the MEC by the parent.
7.3
The MEC will refer any queries back to the District Admissions Team should the
required form and accompanying letter from the school not be completed. A decision
will be made once the MEC receives all the necessary documentation.
________________________
MALLELE PETJE
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
English: Page 7 of 7