Near stampede as thousands of angry parents compete for 73 Grade 1 places

Police reservists were dispatched to restore order at the Kuisebmond Community Hall yesterday morning, after chaos erupted and escalated into a near stampede as more than a thousand agitated parents tried to register their children for Grade 1 for 2018 at Tutaleni- and Nara primary school.

The schools can only accommodate 38 and 35 Grade 1’s respectively.
The registration process was held at the community hall for logistical purposes, but officials misjudged the overwhelming response from parents who are desperate for their children to find place for Grade 1 in 2018. There was also a lack of control over the number of people and when impatience got the better of many, the situation got out of control and assistance of members of the police was called in.