JOHANNESBURG - Learners in some Gauteng schools may not receive their end-of-term results due to a glitch in the South African School Administration and Management System (SASAMS).
The system, supported by the Department of Basic Education, is used by schools to manage administrative data, including marks, learner behaviour, and the generation of report cards.
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It is currently facing technical issues, which could delay the distribution of report cards at affected schools.
The Federation of Governing Bodies of South African Schools (FEDSAS) has raised concern over the impact on learners.
"We are very worried that children will be disadvantaged," says Federation of Governing Bodies of SA Schools' Riaan van der Bergh.
"This is very concerning for children going on holiday and not receiving their reports," he adds.
The system is available to schools free of charge and is used across eight provinces. The Western Cape uses a separate system, while Gauteng is currently the most affected.
Van der Bergh says parents who wish to access their children’s results can contact teachers directly, as schools will still have access to the data.
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He also raised concerns about recurring administrative challenges in the province, including delays in school funding earlier this year.
"The Gauteng Department is failing to perform at the level we are used to," says Van der Bergh.
Earlier in the year, many schools in the province had not yet received their norms and standards funding. Three months later, some learners will not be getting their report cards.
"The dependency on the state is high," says Van der Bergh.
"For the first time, we are seeing a situation where we are concerned about technical glitches," he adds.
Van der Bergh described the timing of the disruption as a “late surprise,” coming as schools prepare to close for the holidays.