For centuries, schools have relied on paper, turning classrooms and libraries into forests of wall displays. The concept of paperless school administration and management may have seemed far-fetched when we launched it in Tembisa nine years ago.
Still, slowly but surely, it is becoming an attainable goal that is revolutionising the education system.
The term paperless refers to a digitised environment where computers and other technological gadgets are considered pivotal and inevitable for teaching and administration.
To improve the learning and administration experience, schools are using computers and mobile devices to enhance the education environment.
The benefits include simply not having any physical paper that can be lost or forgotten and or that may perish over time.
Another benefit for the teachers and administrators is not having to make photocopies of each handout – a tedious and costly task.
Transitioning to a paperless environment is a digital decluttering journey, particularly when it comes to our Online Admissions Application system, which has been challenging for parents and guardians who are accustomed to traditional methods.
For us at the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE), the secret to success involves partnering with parents and creating a master plan for integrating digital resources.
We have responded to feedback and complaints by guardians and parents and have achieved the following objectives:
- Easy submission of applications from the comfort of homes, offices or multiple decentralised admissions walk-in centres strategically placed across the province;
- Provision of accurate statistics for planning and reporting purposes;
- Immediate access to data and statistics to facilitate a transparent admissions process;
- Elimination of long queues during admission periods;
- Centralised database to inform resourcing needs across all functions and streamlining of admissions processes across Gauteng.
So, one may ask: Are we achieving our goal for a paperless school management and teaching environment?
Yes.
The system has seen a lot of evolution in the last nine years since its introduction.
These changes include upgrading the system to handle more than 35 000 users per second and using home affairs data to assist with addresses and other information.
By encouraging teamwork and open communication, we have created an environment where parents and guardians have shared best practices and discussed challenges, and we, and our stakeholders, brainstormed innovative solutions and facilitated real-time communication.
We are now streamlining the process of transitioning to a paperless administration work flow.
Reducing paper usage decreases our carbon footprint and contributes to a greener future by conserving natural resources and minimising the environmental challenge of paper production and disposal.
Embracing a mindset of continuous improvement and adaptation has been important to ensuring the ongoing success of the online admissions application system.
That is why all parents and guardians in Gauteng with children going to Grade 1 and/or Grade 8 must apply online for their children to be admitted to a public school for the 2025 academic year.
Applications opened from July 11, 2024, and will stay open until midnight on August 12, 2024.
To apply, parents and guardians must visit the GDE website, www.gdeadmissions.gov.za and register
Parents are welcome to contact our contact centre on the switchboard number 0800 000 789 or the GDE WhatsApp Query Line: 060 891 0361 for help.
Our operating hours are as follows:
- Monday – Thursday: 07:00 – 17:00
- Friday: 07:30 – 16:30
- Saturday: 09:00 – 13:00
Parents are reminded to accept placement offers within seven school days after receiving the offer.
Offers not accepted within seven school days will be auto-placed at the closest school with a placement offer.
- Matome Chiloane is the Gauteng Member of the Executive Council for Education, Sports, Arts, Culture, and Recreation
