Good schools in an area are a significant consideration for families when looking for a home.
Good education facilities increase the demand for property in an area. As a result, residents prepared to pay a premium to live in suburbs close to top schools.
If the recent draft Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) bill changes are adopted, schooling is bound to be an even more important factor than before. Among other changes, the draft bill states that school attendance will be compulsory from Grade R instead of Grade 1, as at present.
Parents will also be able to enrol their children in school at a younger age so that children will be at school for thirteen to fourteen years, instead of the traditional twelve years.
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Feeder zones
You may register your children at any government school, and they may well be accepted if there is space available. However, government schools have specific feeder zones. This means that your home address will determine the schools at which your children will be given preference over others living outside of your zone.
According to the Department of Education, children who live within a feeder zone will be given first preference. This also applies to parents who live at their place of work, for instance, domestic workers, gardeners or au pairs.
Children whose parents work in the feeder zone are next in line, followed by the rest of the applicants. If there are no more available spaces at the schools in the feeder zone, the rest of the applicants must be placed on a waiting list.
Location
The department of education for each province is obligated to find every child of school going age a place in a school. However, the school that happens to have vacancies may not be the one you would like your children to attend.
For this reason, it is important to do some research on schools in the areas you are considering. Even if you don’t have children but are planning to start a family in the future, schooling facilities are still an essential consideration in buying a property. Because good schools in an area are generally considered to be a drawcard, capital growth in these areas is likely to be above average.
Private schools
If you prefer to send your children to private schools, the feeder zone system doesn't apply. Private schools have other criteria for admission, and these vary from one school to another.
However, most parents prefer their children to live close to the school they are attending. It is so much more convenient from the point of view of transport and after school activities. The Covid-19 pandemic has also highlighted the evils of commuting, and many parents – and children – no longer want to travel long distances to and from school every day.
Information
One of the ways to gather information about schools in a suburb you are considering is to look it up online.
Your province's provincial department of education website should have the information you need about government schools in the area.
For information on private and independent schools, visit the Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa website at https://isasa.org.
Another possibly better way to find out about schools in an area is to talk to other parents whose children attend the schools.
In addition, a knowledgeable estate agent should be able to provide the information you need to decide whether or not to invest in property in a specific area.