NO CARE OR CONCERN

Item: Department of Education
Rating: 1
Author: Mosebudi Lindi Tracey Ramotekoa

Please can I have feedback. Today is the 10th August 2017 and I was advised it is the deadline date for parents to receive sms notifications. Please be advised I have not received a sms regarding my child’s application or placement. Please note that on the 02nd May 2017 at 08:33am I was already done applying for my son on the online admissions site, on the 5th May 2017 I handed in all documentation required at the schools. Please allow me to put down my story as I have said it over a million times, telephonically and face to face with you and other people from the district. I have been calling the department and the GDE call centre ever since following up on the progress of my child’s application, this I always did as my status on the website was always showing as PENDING and it still is. Despite being told that the website closes in June and I had more time, I still continued to call. If I was not told that I will get a sms, I was told that placements and lists have not come back from the district. I still continued calling different departments hoping to get some form of assistance and explanation as to why my applications have been PENDING since May but still this information was never provided to me. Last week I advised my manager that I would come in late on Monday as I wanted to head to the district to enquire. This week on the 07th August 2017 at 08:30am I was at the district in Sandton/Benmore. When I got there they were busy with a meeting and memorial, me and the other parents patiently waited. I was attended to at about 11:00am, the lady that assisted me was Hlayisani. She listened to my story which I am typing down now and she referred me to another section of the building where I was asked to log in to my GDE Admissions profile. Not surprising to me after logging in, all my applications showed as PENDING. Hlayisani contacted Remrandt Park School which is preferably where I want my son to go to next year. The gentleman on the other end of the call (Nicholas) advised Hlayisani that they did not have my documents at the school. I told her that I had submitted documents and I was certain of this. Hlayisani advised me to go to the school as they couldn’t do much on their side because it showed that I had not submitted documents. I left the district after 13:00 and took a taxi to Alexandra and another to get to Remrandt Park School. Upon my arrival, I advised Nicholas I was sent to them by the district. He advised me that he had found my documents (miraculously) and that my application had been sitting with other applications that have OUTSTANDING documents (PLEASE REFER TO THE SECOND ATTACHMENT) as the proof of address was outstanding. When I submitted all documents on the 05th May 2017, I put down 4 contact numbers on the paper where the school stamp was put and also signed that the information provided was correct. I asked Nicholas why was I not contacted and advised of this? He told me that he did call the 074 number however it did not go through, no mention of the other 3 numbers. If calling me or any other parent was important, why did he not note down that on so and so a date he attempted to make contact with me and I was unavailable to take his calls (according to him). He then made me a copy which is the second attachment and told me there was nothing he could do and that I had to go back to the district and advise them that the proof of address is outstanding because the website had already been closed. I left the school around 14:00 and took taxis and got back to the district around 14:45. I got back to the district and advised Hlayisani that Nicholas had referred me back to them because the proof of address was outstanding and there was nothing he could do or advise me to do as the website is closed. Hlayisani contacted the school and spoke to Nicholas. Nicholas advised Hlayisani that I signed the paper confirming that I knew the proof of address was outstanding. I advised Hlayisani that this was not the same conversation I had at the school with Nicholas. I further added that, I app**** on time and handed all documents 3 days after applying for my child to get a school, I asked why would I sit around knowing that documents are outstanding and only decide to do something in August. I was not given an answer to that however Hlayisani advised me to wait on the admissions co-ordinator Mr Ngwane. I waited for Mr Ngwane and he arrived around 15:20. People went in to see him according to who had arrived first in the queue. I finally got the chance to see him and explain my situation. He took down my name and contact details and advised me to expect a call from the district the following day around lunch time. I am still waiting for that call. I have made several attempts to get hold of him and I still have not reached him on his cellphone or the office. Please see below screenshots, till to this day, my applications are showing as pending, I have been making calls to the district and I have still not received any assistance or any form of communication. My child has to be in school next year, he is very excited, his friends already know which schools they are going to but not him. I did everything on time in order not to inconvenience anyone not even myself however this is the treatment I have gotten so far from the GDE. I want my child to be accepted and get to go to Remrandt Park School next year for Grade 1. I did everything by the book and I will not allow nor accept for my child’s education and future to be treated like an option because it is not. Had it been an option then I am very sure I could have not done everything on time and by the book as requested by the GDE.

Helpful (0)

Replies (0)