High schools best suited to host Grade 9 students

Grade 7 learners during a Home Science practical lesson. [File, Standard]

In four months, Grade 8 learners will move to Grade 9. Unfortunately, a firm, reasonable decision is yet to be made on where these learners will be domiciled. The government, in its own wisdom or lack of it, insists that the 1.3 million learners should remain in primary school in line with the recommendations of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms.

But while there is nothing wrong with this, the reality on the ground is different. There are no (enough) classrooms in primary schools to accommodate the huge number of learners. Sadly, the government's promise to build extra classrooms in every public school to house these learners remains largely that - promise.