Gauteng Premier David Makhura on Wednesday assured parents that “everything will be done” to ensure that all 40 000 children on the waiting list will be placed in schools.

“The more we improve education and results (the more) we have more problems. We have migrant learners and this is a crisis of success,” Makhura said.

Speaking during opening ceremony of the newly built Nomzamo Madikizela-Mandela Primary School, in Braamfischerville, Soweto, Makhura said the “growth of Gauteng” was part of the reason of the schooling crisis in the province.

By Tuesday afternoon 20 000 of the 58 000 children who had been waiting to be enrolled had been successfully placed in schools.

“The more technologically advanced schools are built the more we will have this crisis of success,” said Makhura.

“We are addressing the problem of schools. It won’t end completely because the province is doing so well and improving education and that success is creating a crisis.”

Makhura pleaded with parents to “work with” the provincial education department and accept the schools their children are assigned to as many schools no longer have space.

“We want to work with parents and school governing bodies, let’s work together to ensure that children are placed. When a school is full don’t force for the child to go there. This will affect results,” Makhura said.

“We are building schools of the future to ensure that children have brighter futures than their parents who grew up in difficult times.”

Earlier, the Gauteng MEC of Education Panyaza Lesufi said that about 1 300 learners – from the 40 000 waiting for places – were being enrolled at the Nomzamo Madikizela-Mandela Primary School.

“We are breaking the back bone of what has hampered education in the township. Nomzamo Madikizela-Mandela Primary School joins the list of elite schools we have opened, we have committed ourselves to opening such schools every month till the end of 2017,” said Lesufi.

He said eight new schools for children with disabilities will be opened in Gauteng.