Cape Town - Following the closure of its first school placement application process, the Western Cape Department of Education (WCED) has opened a second round, however, this time applications by parents and guardians would be regarded as late applications.
The department said during its first cycle, its system processed applications for 156 150 learners, and with parents applying for more than one school for their children, it received 503 763 applications for placement and transfer to schools for the 2024 school year.
In a statement, WCED head David Maynier said the department was thankful to parents who had applied on time enabling the provincial education ministry to properly plan for the school next year.
Concerning the now-deemed late applications, Maynier said parents or guardians would still be able to capture applications on the online system, but would be flagged as late applications.
He stated that schools have been tasked to only consider the late applications after considering and placing learners whose parents had applied in the first placement process.
The WCED’s new deadline for school placement applications was set for May 25, 2023.
“It is imperative that parents do not delay applying any further. Doing so will affect our planning processes and could result in delays in placing their children. We must work together to ensure a smooth start to 2024,” Maynier said.
Parents can visit: https://wcedonline.westerncape.gov.za/admissions-202324 to apply.
Meanwhile, across the province, parents and guardians are reaching out to local community leaders, as well as MPL Khalid Sayed to complain about challenges they are facing accessing and applying on the WCED’s online system.
Kraaifontein community leader and Education activist Linda Phito said numerous parents contacted him for assistance in applying for placements for their children.
Photo said in spite of the department reportedly sending its officials to assist and facilitate applications during its first process parents were still confused and unable to apply for schools for their children leaving them frustrated with the system.
“The funny thing is we heard that the WCED sent one of its mobile offices to Kraaifontein to facilitate applications on this side, but no one here knew or heard about it on time, so who exactly did they serve?
“I don’t understand how they could send help yet not work with local leaders to communicate to the people about their efforts.
“We are very disappointed. I had to reach out to Mr Klalid Sayed (ANC MPL) to ask for further assistance because in Kraaifontein school placements is a big issue. We can’t afford to not get things right the first time or use resources availed to us."
"Mr Sayed said he would raise the issue in Parliament, and I heard that he did that’s why the department has now extended its application process,” Phito said.
Sayed said that he disagreed with Maynier’s move to extend applications but record them as late applications.
Sayed said that across the province, however, more so in the Metro parents and guardians had struggled to apply using the department’s system and needed to be given another fair chance to apply with relevant assistance.
He said: “We are getting reports from all over, Mitchell’s Plain, Paarl and more, not just Kraaifontein. Parents were struggling to apply, and when we spoke to the MEC we called for him to extend the application process not this late application process he has instituted.
“Not every community got the mobile offices, and aside from that parents were continuously experiencing glitches with the system and couldn’t proceed in some cases.
“There are too many complaints for the department to do this instead of merely extending the process. We call on the MEC to do the right thing and extend the application process without considering any as late applications that will only be processed separately from other applications,” Sayed said.
The latter communique from the WCED also communicated that now that the official application period had closed, schools would have just over a month to consider all the applications they have received.
The department said parents were reminded, to not yet attempt to drop off any documents at this stage as they would only need to do so once they receive an offer from a school and have accepted the offer as their final choice of school.
“The WCED is working (to ensure) parents (see) the outcomes of their applications online from May 29, 2023. We will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to place every learner whose parents applied on time as quickly as possible,” Maynier said.