The plight of a parent whose child is yet to receive placement for Grade 8 next year has highlighted ongoing concerns about school admissions and placement in the province. The Western Cape Education Department said it was unable to supply the latest placement numbers, as the process was still being facilitated.
Education watchdogs and organisations have since called for improved coordination between primary and high schools, as well as clear contingency measures.
“All the schools’ applications were submitted within the application period,” said the parent, who asked not to be identified for fear of victimisation.
“I appealed to all the schools namely, Edgemead High School, Fairbairn College and Milnerton High School and received feedback, which said they had received more than 2,000 applications each.
“They said they can only take about 200 applications.”
Waiting has left learner and parent anxious
She said her son had been left feeling overwhelmed and sad after not being placed at a high school.
“My son is 13 and in Grade 7, and all of his friends have already started preparing for high school.
“They have been going for uniform fittings, but we cannot do the same because we do not know where he will be. He asks me almost every day when he will be doing his fittings.
“I went to the district office, and they just asked me for the CEMIS number and said at this point there is nothing they can do but that I need to wait.”
She said she had been left feeling anxious and frustrated.
“I have been sending emails to the department. I have been so stressed.
“If they place him somewhere far away, I do not know how he is going to get to school. I am a single parent, and it is going to cost me financially.”
WCED says placement process is still under way
Bronagh Hammond, director of communications for the WCED, said they were aware of the parents plight and that the issue of placement was being resolved.
“The parent applied to three schools, all of which are significantly oversubscribed. Each of the three schools received more than 2,000 applications, while having capacity for only approximately 200 to 280 new placements,” said Hammond.
“Unfortunately, some schools receive substantially more applications than others. This can be for a variety of reasons, including their subject offerings, academic performance, location, or sporting and other extracurricular programmes. Inevitably, where applications significantly exceed the number of places available, not every applicant can be accommodated at their preferred schools.
“School governing bodies determine their schools’ admission policies, within the applicable legal and policy framework, while the WCED continues to work to secure placement opportunities for learners requiring places.”
She added that the placement process for the 2027 school year was still under way.
“The numbers change continuously as late applications are received, placements are finalised, parents accept or decline offers, and capacity at schools is confirmed. We hope to provide an update later this year on the progress made,” she said.
“The WCED has corresponded with the parent regarding her concerns about her son’s Grade 8 placement for 2027. The parent did not submit a formal appeal to the Minister within the prescribed appeals period, which closed on 14 August 2026.
“The District did respond to the parent and is aware of the concerns she has raised.”
Hammond explained that district officials were continuing to work through outstanding placements by engaging with schools and reviewing available capacity.
Parents urged to contact district offices
“While placement at a particular school cannot be guaranteed, particularly where a school is heavily oversubscribed, the placement process is ongoing,” she added.
“We understand that this is a stressful period for families who are still awaiting placement, and the WCED will continue its efforts to secure placement opportunities for learners as additional capacity becomes available.
“The WCED appeals to parents who have not yet applied for the 2027 school year to please do so immediately. They can contact our district offices for assistance.”
Hammond said that over the course of the next three weeks, the WCED would also be hosting admission pop-ups at various malls and other central points in communities within the Cape Town metro to assist parents who had not yet applied.
Riedwaan Ahmed, provincial chief executive officer for the Western Cape branch of the National Professional Teachers Organisation of South Africa (Naptosa), said they were concerned about parents having to wait until next year to know whether their child had been placed and that the issue of placement had become an annual challenge.
“Naptosa is concerned that parents must wait until January to establish whether their children will be placed at a school applied for admission to grade 8 and same applies to Grades R and 1,” he said.
“This is undesirable and not conducive to effective planning and creates unnecessary anxiety for both parents and learners, as we believe that as a stakeholder in education that every learner deserves access to quality public education, and this cannot be a systemic issue.
Naptosa calls for better admissions planning
“The issue of placement of learners which is an annual challenge, is compounded by policies, procedures, and guidelines from the provincial education departments and those of School Governing Bodies.”
He explained that the education district offices are being staffed to assist with registration, applications, and placement of learners, together with the establishment of a newly created sub-directorate at provincial level to streamline the placement process.
“We express the view that certain schools could accommodate additional learners, provided they receive the necessary resources, adequate facilities, and educator personnel,” he said.
“Further, there should be improved coordination between the primary and high schools, clear contingency measures, improved forecasting of grade 8 learner numbers and available high school capacity across the province, coupled with early identification of high demand areas for placement of learners.”
Genevieve Serra
iol.co.za
