The Western Cape Education Department has received applications for over 156 000 learners for the 2024 school year. This is, as the month-long window in which parents could apply for a place for their children at school next year, closed at 23:59 on Friday, 14 April 2023.

2024 school year applications received

During the admissions window, parents and caregivers could apply to more than one school for their children.

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The department says the total number of individual applications for placement and transfer to schools received stands at 503 763.

At the same time, MEC David Maynier has assured parents that those who logged a query for technical assistance with the WCED team before the deadline will be considered to have applied on time.

What if you applied late?

Maynier says, “All applications received after the deadline will be considered late applications. These applications will only be considered by schools after they have considered the applications received on time.”

He has in the meanwhile encouraged parents to still capture applications on the online system, but he says they will be flagged as late applications.

He added, “The deadline for late applications will be 25 May 2023. It is imperative that parents do not delay applying any further. Not doing so, could affect our planning processes and could result in delays in placing your child.”

The department says with the official online application process now closed, schools can start the process to place learners. They have just over a month to consider all the applications they have received.

What is next in the process?

Maynier added, “Parents are reminded 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.”

At this stage, it is hoped that the outcomes of the applications online will be made public, from 29 May 2023. This date, cannot be fully confirmed yet.

Capturing online applications

“Parents must then accept or decline successful offers and we encourage them to do so as quickly as possible. More details will be released closer to the time,” says Maynier.

Parents who do not receive an offer of a place should not be disheartened: places always open up as parents confirm their final choices.

ABOUT: When the 2024 school applications process opened

We will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to place every learner whose parents applied on time as quickly as possible.