By Ragheema Mclean

The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has faced an unprecedented influx of late applications for Grade 1 and Grade 8 learners since the beginning of 2024, with a total of 3,579 applications for this year.

As of 15 February 2024, 99.6% of Grade 1 and Grade 8 placement applications for the 2024 school year, totalling 124,808, have been resolved, with 529 learners, or 0.4%, still undergoing placement. Among these, the department has yet to place 25 students who applied on time for the 2024 academic year, 133 who applied late, and 371 who applied extremely late.

Speaking on VOC Breakfast on Monday, Education MEC David Maynier attributed the lack of placement to a reduced budget as well as an influx of extremely late applications.

Maynier stated that they had been working hard since before schools reopened to find places for students in the 2024 school year, as well as to complete their extensive infrastructure programme to create more places.

“I think the root cause is that demand simply does not meet supply, and the reason for that ultimately is that we have not been able to expand the schooling system to keep pace with the enrolment pressure, and that comes down to an inadequate budget.”

“In the 2024 school year, the department had to absorb a budget cut of 716.4 million, leading to the deferral of 10 school builds to the next financial year.”

Furthermore, to ensure that unplaced learners do not miss out on school, Maynier stated that the department is ensuring that learner resource packs are provided to those who applied extremely late.”

“When these learners are placed at a school, our schools will ensure that individual support measures are put in place to assist and help those learners catch up.”

In addition to this, he said another 317 classrooms were under construction at new and existing schools, with delivery dates beginning at the end of the month.

“We still have two schools that are under construction, and both schools should be completed in the next couple of months.

“The big challenge going forward is to identify and mobilize a sustainable source of funding so that we can expand education access in our province.”

VOC NEWS

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