The Western Cape Education Department will resume placing learners in schools this week who have lodged very late applications.

Before schools closed in December 2023, the Department had managed to place over 99% of learners who had applied to Grade 1 and 8 for the 2024 school year.

But over 600 new applications were received in the first 10 days of January, while some 2600 learners are still waiting to be placed.

MEC David Maynier says they anticipate even more late applications this week.

It comes as the Department is also aiming to build new schools at a faster rate than ever before through the Rapid School Build programme, despite a massive R716.4 million blow to the education budget in the Western Cape.

The Western Cape Government is currently building 10 new schools and 3 replacement schools for learners in the 2024 school year, and putting the finishing touches on new junior high schools in Belhar, Fisherhaven, and Kwanokuthula, as part of the Rapid School Build programme.

Following over a year of being blocked from construction by criminal activity, foundations have also been laid at the Blueridge site, where a new primary and high school is being built for the community of Wallacedene.

Maynier says Lwandle Primary School in Somerset West is also back on track following disruptions at the site.

In addition, classroom expansions are in progress or completed at dozens of existing schools, some of whom have committed their own funding to expanding the number of places available in their schools.

In terms of finalising the placement of learners, Maynier says that process will resume today, 15 January, as teachers return to work.

He says dealing with extremely late applications is a huge challenge because the Department does not know how many new applications they will receive; where the extremely late placement will be required; the grades, language, and ages of the learners; and the specific subjects and specialised needs of the learners.

We ask for patience as we make progress in placing these extremely late applicants. We cannot predict where and when these late applicants will arrive, and this has made planning our resource allocation in advance extremely difficult.

Maynier has urged any parent who has not yet applied for the 2024 school year to do so immediately at their education district office:

https://wcedonline.westerncape.gov.za/contact/districts

We will work to place every learner for whom an application is received going forward, but we want to be clear that schools are full in the Western Cape.