The end of the 2022 academic year has seen a climbing number of schooling applications for new learners entering into grades 1 and 8 in the year of 2023. According to a recent statement by Western Cape Minister of Education, David Meynier, by November, schools had received 117 270 new grade 1 and 8 applications, 22 113 of which were sent in late.
Despite the large number of late submissions, however, it is said that by 3 November, 89.1% of that number had already been placed into schooling for 2023. Still, the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) understands that this is just the beginning, predicting that even more late applications will begin to pour in as late as January.
In 2022, there had been over 7 900 extremely late applications, and the provincial government wishes to avoid an issue like that from arising once more. As such, they have urged that parents make their best attempts to submit their children’s applications as soon as possible, and not wait until the last minute.
Furthermore, they ask that parents also respond quickly once their child has received a placement offer, to ensure that their place is secured and that it is not offered to someone else.
Early application will not only make the process of placement become more efficient, but it will also heighten the chance for children to be placed at their preferred school of choice, so long as they meet the requirements.
From government’s part, they also aim to build more schools and classrooms than before, in order to accommodate all the remaining applications. However, in the meantime, they would like to thank those parents who have already submitted their children’s applications for their patience, and wish to reaffirm that their children remain the number 1 priority.
842 additional classrooms with at least 26 000 places for learners in the province being made available. The department has appointed an additional 1 143 teachers so that they are prepared for the completion of additional classrooms.
