1. This minute is aimed at advising principals of schools, school governing bodies (SGBs) and district officials of the early enrolment of learners for the 2011 school year. It concerns mainly those children entering school for the first time, those starting high school or those who are changing schools.
2. The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) regards early enrolment as a priority around which the core business of teaching and learning revolves. The optimal utilisation of instructional time in an academic year is necessary for improved performance and this is possible when learners know where they will be attending school.

3. Reasons for early enrolment:
3.1 Education is compulsory for all children up to the age of 15 years.
3.2 Schools and the WCED need to know well in advance which schools are full and which schools still have vacancies for 2011.
3.3 Schools and the WCED need to plan ahead and make sure that all resources are available before the school starts in 2011.
3.4 Learners lose out on school days when they are registered late and they find it difficult to catch up with the work.

4. Parents and/or guardians must be encouraged to exercise their rights and responsibilities when it comes to enrolling their children for school:
4.1 It is primarily the responsibility of parents and/or guardians to enrol children for the following school year if they will be entering Grade 1, changing schools (such as entering Grade 8 or 9) or when they have moved to a different area.
4.2 Parents and/or guardians must make a distinction between the child being "enrolled" or "placed on a waiting list".
4.3 Parents and/or guardians must register their child for Grade 1 if the child will be turning seven in the following year.
4.4 Parents and/or guardians experiencing difficulty in enrolling their children for 2011 may approach their education district office for assistance. Contact details may be obtained from the nearest school.
4.5 It is assumed that a learner currently enrolled at a school will continue at that school until the exit grade. Some schools require parents to confirm that the learner will attend that school in the following year. In this case, the principal and the SGB must inform the parents that they must do this.

5. Principals and SGBs must inform parents and/or guardians that enrolment for 2011 will have two phases:
5.2 the first phase in the second term (although some schools may have started this process) and
5.2 the second phase in the third term.

6. Schools are reminded that they should have replied to all first phase applications by the end of July 2010 so that parents and/or guardians can have enough time to look for alternatives.
7. Education District Offices and schools must put systems in place to ensure that early enrolment will be carried out effectively and successfully.
8. Principals and SGBs are requested to make the contents of this minute available to all educators,parents and guardians.


SIGNED: JH LYNERS
HEAD: EDUCATION
DATE: 2010:03:25