The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has officially opened the on-time school admissions application period for Grade R, Grade 1 and Grade 8 for the 2027 academic year.
The application window opened on 10 March 2026 and will remain open until 14 April 2026, giving parents and guardians time to apply for placement at public schools across the province.
However, some parents have already raised concerns about difficulties experienced while trying to submit applications on the online system.
Education activist Vanessa Le Roux says the situation highlights broader accessibility challenges faced by many families.
“This is an ongoing issue because it has already been brought to the department’s attention. There may be problems with the system, but we must also consider that not all parents have access to it or to the internet,” she said.
Le Roux also questioned what is being done about learners who have not yet been placed for the current academic year.
The WCED has confirmed that around 227 learners remain unplaced in 2026.
“Secondly, what happened to the children of 2026 who haven’t been placed yet? Those children are losing the entire academic year while we are already focusing on 2027,” she added.
Meanwhile, WCED spokesperson Bronagh Hammond acknowledged that some technical issues had been reported and apologised to parents experiencing difficulties.
“I do want to apologise to everyone who has experienced problems. This is not ideal,” Hammond said.
She explained that a data-free redirect on the system had caused issues for some users. Hammond advised parents to refresh the page and access the platform by searching “WCED admissions” on Google if they continue experiencing problems.
Hammond also noted that some confusion has arisen around the address section of the application, where parents are asked to confirm whether they live in the Western Cape before entering their home address.
She reassured parents that the admissions process is not based on a first-come, first-served basis.
“Some parents are all clamouring to get on right now and think it’s first come, first served. It’s not. Applications close on the 14th of April, and schools will then consider all applications together, not according to the order in which they were submitted,” she said.
The department has encouraged parents to complete their applications within the official window and to seek assistance if they experience ongoing problems with the system.
Listen to the full interview with Bronagh Hammond below.
VOC News
Photo: Pexels
