1 870 learners unplaced in WC

With the school year well underway, 1 870 learners in either Grade R, 1 or 8, still needs to be placed in a school in the Western Cape.

Providing an update on Monday, the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) said since the beginning of January 2026, the WCED has placed 26 312 Grade R, 1 and 8 learners across the province. This is in addition to the tens of thousands of learners placed during 2025.

‘’Despite having placed 96% of all learners who applied last year — including late applications submitted up to 10 December — the WCED experienced an unprecedented number of new extremely late applications at the start of 2026,’’ said Bronagh Hammond, WCED spokesperson.

PICTURE: Pixabay

She said since the beginning of January 2026, the WCED received 25 065 new extremely late applications for Grades R, 1 and 8. 

‘’As of 6 February 2026, for Grade 8, the WCED has placed 99.6% of learners for whom applications were received, with placement in progress for 396 learners; In Grade 1, placement is in progress for 326 learners, representing a placement rate of over 99%. For Grade R, placement is in progress for 1 148 learners. 13 905 extremely late applications were received for Grade R this year!,’’ said Hammond.

The WCED pat itself on the back for placing more than 26 000 placements within four weeks.

‘’While it is always preferable for all learners to be in school on the first day, the reality is that late applications require time. Officials must consult with School Governing Bodies (SGBs), negotiate available spaces, and finalise administrative processes that would normally take months — now condensed into just a few days,’’ said Hammond.

‘’While we celebrate the placement of tens of thousands of learners in an exceptionally short period, we remain mindful that new extremely late applications continue to arrive daily. These are being handled with urgency, and we appeal to the public to allow officials the space to complete this work. The WCED remains committed to ensuring that every learner in the Western Cape has access to a place in school as quickly as possible,’’ she added.

 

Done by: Mitchum George