Cape Town – The Western Cape Department of Education (WCED) is calling on parents and guardians of school-going children to continue to apply to schools for a place for their child before the close of the second phase of its application process.
The WCED opened the second phase of its learner school application process at the beginning of this month, however, stating that the applications would be considered late applications with a deadline of May 25 at 11.59pm, which is now less than a week away.
In a statement, Western Cape Education MEC David Maybier revealed that to date the department had received about 21 659 late applications for learners for the 2024 school year, which includes 2006 Grade 1 and 11 388 Grade 8 admissions applications.
The applications are in addition to the on-time applications for 155 330 learners received by April 2023, according to the department.
Maynier said although the applications were being processed as late applications, parents needed to apply as soon as possible to afford their child a better chance at finding a suitable school for the 2024 school year.
He said the earlier officials understood how many learners are seeking placement, and where they are located, the better planning would be to provide places for all learners.
“If we only receive applications at the end of the year or early next year, it will take some time to redirect resources to accommodate those learners. Our message remains clear: “Don’t wait,” Maynier said.
Parents may apply online today at:
https://wcedonline.westerncape.gov.za/admissions-202324
“Parents who experience technical problems can log a query using the ‘contact us’ option at the top of the admissions page, or by emailing [email protected], and we will assist parents with technical issues to resolve every problem as soon as possible.
“We would also like to remind all our parents that they do not need to drop off their certified hard copies at this stage. They will only need to do so once they have received an offer from a school and accepted the offer as their final choice of school,” Maynier said.