/ MEDIA STATEMENT / The content on this page is not written by Polity.org.za, but is supplied by third parties. This content does not constitute news reporting by Polity.org.za.

The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education today reemphasised its position that no learner should be left out of school because of the unavailability of education officials to find space for learners and it called for transparency in application processes to ensure equity and access.
 
The committee engaged today with the provincial Gauteng and Western Cape departments of education on, among other things, learner admissions at schools, learner migration trend
 gaps and backlogs in learner placements. The Chairperson of the committee, Ms Joy Maimela said: “Both provincial education departments have had challenges in the past to place learners timeously and that has been attributed to migration.”
 
The Western Cape Education department (WCED) told the committee that as of the end of last week it still needed to place 16 Grade R learners and 18 Grade 8 learners for this academic year.
 
It also informed the committee that it is in the process of placing 647 Grade R learners for this school year of the 73 899 applications it received last year. The committee heard that schools were allowed to accept additional learners but the teaching and learning of the Grade R curriculum should not be compromised. The WCED negotiated with registered independent schools offering Grade R to accommodate additional Grade R learners.
 
In total the WCED received 166 681 applications, 50 194 late applications by the end of last year and 53 949 very late applications by the end of January this year. The committee heard that although the WCED used various mediums of advocating its deadlines and applications process, it still found parents applying late for schools.
 
It further stated that between this year and 2029 learner growth is expected to increase by 3.95% in the public ordinary school. According to the WCED, the province is experiencing fast population growth, driven primarily by in-migration and should prepare to accommodate an additional estimated 1.196 million people. Its target for 2025 is seven new schools, 293 new classrooms and a total of 342 classrooms delivered by 07 March 2025
 
The Gauteng Education Department (GED) told the committee that its application period opened on 11 July 2024 and closed on 14 August 2024. It received 325 858 applicants who submitted complete applications in that period. Placement commenced on 16 September 2024 and by 11 December 2024 applicants with complete applications were placed.
 
According to the GED the late applications period commenced on 11 December 2024, making provision for applicants who missed the application window period, and applicants with incomplete applications to select a school with available space for placement.
The committee heard that as of 31 January 2025, a total of 359 115 applicants (early and late) were placed.
 
In January 2025, parents reported to walk-in centres requesting placement for a total of 5310 learners. A total of 4 972 of those learners were already placed in schools with available space in line with Admissions Regulations. As of 6 March 2025 an additional total of 99 learners reported to seek alternative placement. The GED told the committee that it must be noted that these learners are placed on waiting lists and requested to remain in schools where they are currently enrolled. The province continues to prioritise placement of learners with valid proof of relocation
 
The GED said that although it also faced late applications and migration, it decided to increase the number of learners per class instead of leaving learners out of school. The committee heard that the GED also introduces mobile schools (previously called satellite schools) self-build classrooms and mobile classrooms to address this.
 
“The committee called for transparency with the applications processes to ensure vulnerable learners from disadvantaged communities are also afforded an opportunity to attend schools in the suburbs,” said Ms Maimela.

Issued by the Parliamentary Communication Services on behalf of the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, Joy Maimela