The 2026 school year has officially commenced across the Western Cape, with more than one million learners returning to classrooms. However, thousands of learners are still awaiting placement as the new academic year gets underway. The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) says approximately 7,200 learners have yet to be placed but is confident that all outstanding cases will be resolved within the next ten days.
Speaking to VOC News, Western Cape Education MEC David Maynier acknowledged the challenges posed by late applications, saying the department is actively working to finalise placements. “We are in the process of placing about 7,540 learners. Of course, many of those learners are late applications, which does cause us quite significant challenges,” Maynier said. He added that the process is ongoing, with a full update expected later this week.
Maynier stressed that the WCED is working closely with district offices, schools, and parents to ensure no learner is left without a place. “The department is working around the clock with districts, with schools, and with parents to place all learners at schools here in the Western Cape,” he said.
While some learners who applied on time are still awaiting placement, Maynier said the department is reviewing the situation. “There are some learners who applied on time who have not yet been placed. I’m not sure of that number, and we’ll get an update on where we stand on Friday morning when the department meets to review its position, particularly on admissions and infrastructure,” he explained.
He also sought to reassure parents who were unable to secure placement at their preferred schools, noting that alternative placements remain available. “Many parents who applied on time have not managed to gain admission to their school of choice, but it’s certainly not the end of the road,” Maynier said. “Our obligation and commitment is to work with those parents to ensure their children receive a place at a school as soon as possible.”
Maynier said the department expects further progress following the completion of the so-called “10th day snap survey,” which tracks actual learner attendance across schools. “Once we’ve got accurate data, we believe that large numbers of places will become available, and our ability to accelerate the allocation of places to learners who do not yet have placements will improve significantly,” he said.
The WCED maintains that every learner in the province will be accommodated as the placement process continues.
Listen to the full interview below:
VOC News
Photo: Pixabay
