Despite the early start to the 2024 admissions process, many learners are still uncertain about where they will continue their education journey in the new year. Registration for the 2024 academic year began in May 2023 for grade 1s and in September 2023 for grade 8 learners.
Parents in Limpopo who have received rejection letters for their children's school placements for the 2024 academic year can appeal the decision at their local circuit office. This applies to rejection letters from preferred schools due to capacity challenges.
The Limpopo Education Department is calling on parents to submit their appeal applications before the upcoming deadline. The submission of appeals allows the circuit offices to evaluate space availability.
The appeals process commenced on 1 November 2023. Parents seeking placement for their children, regardless of their grade, must submit their appeals by 10 November 2023.
Many parents have already responded to the education department's call and started submitting their appeal applications at the local circuit education office. However, limited space at schools in the province has raised concerns, as even some timely applicants may face rejection.
MEC Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya has called on parents to submit their appeals before the fast-approaching deadline.
From the first to the tenth of November 2023, parents can visit their relevant circuit offices to ensure that every child is placed within the registration period.
The MEC says that if parents stick to the deadline they will secure placement for their children and avoid disappointment.
Please make use of the opportunity window and secure a space for your child to avoid disappointment
In 2022, the Limpopo education department also revealed that they are actively addressing the high demand for schools in the Polokwane area by constructing five new schools in the coming years.
The Department's Mike Maringa says Private Service Providers have already been hired to start working on the construction of the new schools. This construction is set to commence before the end of 2023.
This initiative to build more schools in Polokwane is a response to the increased migration to the area for better job opportunities in January 2023.
Polokwane circuit in particular is a hotspot in January because people are migrating to town for better job opportunities so we usually find ourselves in a point where we are receiving a lot of applications
Significant Changes to the 2024 School Year
For the first time in many years, learners across the country will begin their academic year on the same day, regardless of the province in which they reside or study. This led the Department of Basic Education (DBE) to suspend the use of a staggered school calendar.
Schools nationwide will open on 17 January 2024, for the first term and close 46 school days later on 20 March 2024. The second term will run for 52 school days from 3 April 2024, to 14 June 2024, while the third term will have an extra day, running from 9 July 2024 to 20 September 2024. The final term will commence on 1 October 2024, with the school year concluding on 11 December 2024.
Previously, the start of the school year varied depending on the province in which a school was located, resulting in a staggered school calendar that divided schools in South Africa into two clusters: the coastal cluster and the inland cluster, each with different return dates.
