Middelburg – The Department of Education officially closed its school application on 31 August 2025 for 2026’s academic cycle. However, since schools reopened on 14 January 2026, parents in the Steve Tshwete municipality have visited the local circuit office seeking placement letters for their children, but many report receiving little or no assistance despite promises from the Mpumalanga Department of Education.
The number of unplaced learners in the province is just shy of 10,000, leaving many learners deprived of education, sitting at home, and parents having to compromise and leave work to queue for space.
Early Thursday morning, on 29 January, a group of parents gathered at the Middleburg circuit office, pressing the provincial education department to issue the placement letters their children urgently need.
Pinky Mahlangu’s quest for a spot at the Hoër Tegnise Skool (HTS) for her child has not succeeded. She says she applied on time for grade 8, but faced rejection.
“When the school began accepting applications, I made sure to collect the forms, fill them out, and submit them well within the deadline. I was informed that I would be in the second round of applicants but then received an SMS notifying me of the rejection. When I visited the school, they told me they were at full capacity and directed me to the circuit,” she explained.
Similarly, Kefilwe Molefe applied to four local schools last year but was rejected by all due to lack of available spaces for grade R. “Every time I approached a different school, I was told to return to my circuit, but they said they were also full and recommended I contact the district instead,” she said. “I received their response after the application deadline had passed, that was during the last week of September 2025.”
Thabo Tshiane is seeking placement for a student relocating from Witbank, but he finds himself in a bind. “Once I got the transfer, I rushed to the circuit to seek available spots in Mhluzi’s schools. But, to my dismay, I was told to hold off until next Thursday. My frustration boils down to the fact that the learner is still out of school while classes are in full swing,” he said. “I understand it’s late in the game, but this child shouldn’t have to remain at home while others are attending school.”
Pinky Boshielo is searching for a place for her younger sister’s child moving from Pretoria after her mother lost her job in December. “As the only sister able to help them out, this has thrown us all for a loop. The learner can’t afford to miss out on school just because there isn’t available space. We urgently need assistance,” she said.
A parent residing approximately 3 kilometers from a school raised concerns about the education department’s admission preference policy, which prioritises applicants from feeder zones. “The school is supposed to admit students based on this order, yet I can’t help but notice two buses filled with learners from Witbank passing by my house every morning and afternoon, while my son, living just a stone’s throw away, is told there’s no space for him. It’s frustrating,” she shared.
During the launch of the Back-to-School programme in Bushbuckridge two weeks ago, MEC Lindi Masina said urban migration and rising applications from outside feeder zones have placed strain on schools. “There has also been a rise in applications from outside designated feeder zones, along with occasional instances where placement has been denied, even when vacancies are available.”
Masina added that all districts had completed admissions, except a few students still awaiting placement in rapidly growing areas like Mbombela, eMalahleni, Mashishing, Steve Tshwete, and Secunda.
When the Highveld Chronicle tried to find out how the department was addressing the issue of unplaced learners in the province, we were met with silence.
