The Western Cape Education Department is considering various ways to address the growing demand for placement in local schools.

This is as learners are currently being placed for the 2026 academic year.

ALSO READ: Parents urged to confirm 2026 WC school placements promptly

One of the department’s plans is to build more schools, which Education MEC David Maynier says is a challenge due to limited funding.

The department plans to build 55 new and replacement schools in the next five years.

“The demand for school placement and building upgrades in the Western Cape is extremely high, as thousands of extra learners seek place in our schools each year,” said Maynier.

Maynier says the department’s Rapid School Build programme – to get more schools for learners – secured additional funding from National Treasury, but that will not be enough.

“Unfortunately, even with this additional funding, it will not be able to cover the needs of our province in terms of new schools, classrooms, and replacement schools, as well as maintenance and repairs following natural disasters,” Maynier explained.

He added that the department is trying to navigate financial constraints while also balancing the need to meet the necessary demand.

“We are exploring various ways to meet this need given the financial constraints we are under, including public-private partnerships and mobilising additional funding.”

Meanwhile, school admissions for 2026 are moving into the auto-confirmation phase.

The MEC’s spokesperson, Kerry Mauchline, said this means the admission system will now automatically choose the top-ranked school for applicants who had “double-parked” or had more than one offer from a school. These applicants had not confirmed their preference by 17 June.

 “Schools will then continue to fill remaining places until the end of July, so we encourage parents who do not yet have a place to stay in touch with the schools they have applied to in case additional places have opened up,” explained Mauchline.

This article has been updated to include additional information.