Cape Town - The Western Cape Department of Education (WCED) is calling on parents, and guardians in the province to not wait before it’s too late to apply for a place for their children and/or wards at local schools.
The department officially opened its school admissions online process for the 2024 school year on Monday morning – a minute after midnight on March 13.
According to the WCED by 10.30am, it had already received more than 4 600 learner applications for various schools across the province.
Western Cape Education MEC David Maynier said the provincial education ministry was extremely pleased to see so many parents and guardians immediately take action to secure a spot for their children by making sure that they applied on time.
The WCED’s online application process will be open from12.01am on March 13, 2023, until 11.59pm on April 14, 2023, giving households with school-going children roughly a month to apply for school placements for their children.
Maynier said: “Our admissions website is a free service, that is zero-rated so you do not need data to access it. We have also arranged 114 pop-up admission sites at shopping malls, schools and other facilities, in all eight education districts to help parents and caregivers who do not have access to internet facilities or need assistance applying online.”
To apply for a place for your child or ward to study, the WCED needs you to submit the following documents:
- The last official school report card.
- Proof of identity, either the learner's ID, birth certificate or passport.
- In the case of a foreign learner: a passport, a study permit or proof of application for a study permit, or a copy of the parent’s asylum-seeker or refugee permit.
- Or a police affidavit if these documents are not available
- Immunisation card (road to health chart) – for primary schools only.
- Proof of residence (rates account, lease agreement, an affidavit confirming residence).
Further information on how to apply, with step-by-step registration and application guidelines and videos, are available on the WCED website: https://wcedonline.westerncape.gov.za/admissions-202324
“We understand that this is a stressful period for parents and that the application process can seem daunting,” the department said.
Here are some tips for parents:
- Apply early, don’t wait until the last day of the applications window.
- Apply to more than one school.
- Check the admissions policies of the schools to which you would like to apply.
Remember that schools may not use their forms or online systems for applications and may not request additional information from parents that is not in line with the South African Schools Act, the Admissions Policy for Public Ordinary Schools, or the POPI Act.
The WCED has also advised that parents who may have been unable to complete their applications, or encountered technical difficulties, should not be alarmed as they have a month to apply.
According to the WCED, there will be no preference given to those that apply in the first few days, as opposed to next week. The important thing is to ensure that you apply before April 14, 2023, and that you apply to three schools.
“Schools cannot access the data to see what order of preference parents have listed their school when submitting applications. They will not be informed if their particular school is first, third or seventh on the parent's list.”
“Should parents have any concerns or questions about the online system, they are advised to pop their questions in the ‘Query’ box on the admissions website, and one of the ministry’s officials will assist,” the department said.
Parents and guardians can also contact the admissions contact centre on 0861 819 919 between 8 am and 4 pm to get assistance with general queries.
For more information on where and when you can access the Education Department’s extra services, visit: https://wcedonline.westerncape.gov.za/admissions-202324