The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) says teaching and learning will resume as normal tomorrow (Wednesday, 13 May 2026), after the department closed all public schools today due to the adverse weather conditions.

The Western Cape MEC for Education, David Maynier, says any school unable to operate due to infrastructure damage or accessibility challenges will communicate directly with parents regarding possible closures.

“There may be schools that need to remain closed due to infrastructure damage or access challenges caused by the storm, and they will request permission on a case-by-case basis. Any schools approved for closure will communicate directly with parents.”

Maynier further conveyed his gratitude to staff, parents, and officials from several departments who played a vital role during the closures. Principals have been asked to report any infrastructure damage to the department as soon as possible.

“Thank you to our school staff, officials and parents for the smooth implementation of the closures over the past week. A special thank you to the emergency services, disaster management officials, and all stakeholders who continue to support our schools in these circumstances.”

The department has urged the public to only trust official forms of communication, such as the WCED website and social media accounts.

“Over the past week, we have seen a significant amount of fake news being distributed, either through the alteration of official graphics, forgery of officials’ signatures, or through images created with artificial intelligence. The distribution of fake news takes time and resources away from supporting schools during severe weather events, so we appeal to everyone to first verify information using official channels before sharing.”