Over 1.2 million learners at Western Cape public schools started their new school year on Wednesday. Of these, 73 000 are in Grade R, 102 000 are Grade 1s entering “big school” for the first time, and 97 000 Grade 8s began their high school career.
However, as of 7 January 2027, 7 530 learners were
still unplaced for a school in the province. The Western Cape Education
Department (WCED) says what is putting more strain on the provincial education
system is receiving extremely late applications.
‘’We will continue to work to place all children seeking a
place in our schools. This is a challenging task, as hundreds of new applications
are arriving each week. We appeal to any parent who has not yet applied to do
so immediately at their district office,’’ said David Maynier, Western Cape
Education MEC.
‘’Crucially, we appeal to parents to ensure that they
provide accurate, current contact details to our districts so that we can reach
them when a place becomes available for their child. We understand that this
will be a frustrating period for some of our parents, but we assure them that
we will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to find places for every learner
in the Western Cape,’’ he added.
Details of our district officials who can assist are
available on the WCED website:
https://www.westerncape.gov.za/education/service/learner-admissions
COURTESY: WCEDMaynier joined Premier Alan Winde at Tamboerskloof Primary
School to welcome Western Cape learners to school for the 2026 academic year. He
says to ease the burden on overcrowded classrooms, the WCED has opened 9 new
schools that were in a phased approach. These schools are located in Lwandle,
Wallacedene, Blue Downs, Philippi, Tafelsig, Darling, Fisherhaven, and
Plettenberg Bay.
‘’We are opening the first phases of another 2 new schools:
Ilitha Park High School in Khayelitsha and Brantwood High School in Kuilsriver.
Additional brick and mortar classrooms have also been added to 12 existing
schools, and in total, we have added 175 new classrooms to the system. A
further 21 classrooms are in construction by School Governing Bodies, using
funding provided by the WCED,’’ said Maynier.
Premier Alan Winde celebrated the start of the school year,
saying:
“We wish all Western Cape learners well as they kick off
the new school year. Whatever challenges lie ahead, we will overcome them
together. We will be behind you every step of your education journey.’’
Done by: Elona Sibunzi
Comments