MAIN IMAGE: Stephen Whitcombe – MD of the Firzt Property Group
Firzt Property Group
Living close to the “right” school remains one of the biggest factors in parents’ property purchases and relocations, particularly in Gauteng, where many families struggle to secure places at their first-choice schools. South Africa has almost 25,000 public and private schools.
According to Stephen Whitcombe, MD of the FIRZT Property Group, the main reason is the feeder-area system, which governs admissions to public schools and prioritises learners who live within a certain radius of each school.
“The majority of parents cannot afford private schooling but obviously still want their children to get the best education possible and will often buy homes or move just to be in the feeder area of their preferred public school. In Gauteng, this feeder area radius is officially 3.7km at present, but the reality is that most government schools are full at a radius of 1.8km, which means that learners need to live within that distance of their school of choice in order to secure a place.”
Whitcombe said this increases demand for homes closest to the most sought-after schools, which increasingly sell or rent at a considerable premium to others in the same area. “And this situation is being intensified, even around private schools, by the huge fuel price hikes that we have seen due to the conflict in the Middle East and the rising cost of living, because parents are trying everything to lower their transport costs, including the cost of driving children to and from their schools and extramural activities.
“A daily school run of 20 or 30km, for example, plus extramural activities, can add up to a significant monthly expense, not to mention the hours spent in traffic. Parents are thus weighing up not only which school is best, but how far it is from home, how long the commute will take and what it will cost.”
Because of this, he said, parents need to focus on the schools that most closely match their children’s specific interests and talents. “If you have to pay more to live as close as possible to a specific school, you need to be very sure that it’s the right school for your child, and not just academically.”
Choosing beyond matric results
FIRZT has partnered with school marketing specialist Ian Wright to launch the SchoolZ Guide, an app that shows parents whether schools offer sports, cultural and other extramural activities alongside their academic results, and whether they have an active alumni network.
“We understand the enormous financial and social impacts such decisions can have on families,” said Whitcombe. “FIRZT will also be adding useful information about the suburbs around each school, including property prices, rentals, amenities, safety and access to public transport. We want choosing a school and choosing where to live to become one decision.”
Wright said the app was inspired by the Michelin Guide for restaurants, which assesses several factors before awarding a restaurant even one star.
“In other words, the SchoolZ Guide is intended to give parents a much more holistic, comprehensive view of the schools they are considering than any of the rankings that are just based on matric results. Learners need nurturing educational environments that foster sporting or cultural talents, as well as academic or technical abilities. And in our experience, an active alumni network is also important because it means that past pupils want to continue their connection with the school and are prepared to assist with fundraising as well as providing networking and career opportunities for current learners.”
Private schools feel it too
Wright said geography matters just as much in the private school sector, even though independent schools do not have official feeder areas. “SA’s private school sector is highly competitive, with many independent schools vying to attract the same families, and while they don’t have official feeder areas, geography matters to them just as much.
“Most of their pupils come from the suburbs within a manageable daily commute, and as fuel costs rise, that radius is likely to shrink further.”
The app currently lists more than 1,300 Gauteng high schools, and schools can verify their profiles at schoolzguide.co.za, or contact the SchoolZ Guide team at info@schoolzguide.co.za or on 084 858 7177. After the launch period, the standard annual verification fee will be R1000 per school.
