Media Release
Minister of Education Debbie Schäfer
Western Cape

9 January, 2018

WCED implements learner placement plan for 2018

Statement by Minister Debbie Schäfer, Minister of Education

Officials of the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) are working closely with schools to accommodate thousands of learners still looking for places in schools in the province.

At this stage, parents will not be guaranteed their first school of choice if their children have not yet been placed. Parents should accept places they have been offered,, or apply to schools that the district advises them to apply to. The majority of our schools have indicated that they are full. We can therefore only refer parents to schools where there is availability - these are only in certain areas and certain grades.

Our officials worked tirelessly with schools during the third and fourth terms last year to place as many learners as possible for 2018 and have reduced the number of learners looking for places by December 2017 from 19 910 to 11 249 by Monday, 8 January.

We are especially struggling to accommodate learners in Grades 1 and 8. While we have placed 99% of the learners needing place in our schools in this past year (about 1.1 million), 11 249 still need placement - 68% of these learners (7 668) need places in Grades 1 and 8.

Therefore the challenge now is to place the remaining one percent - focusing on Grade 1 and 8.

More than 130 000 learners have moved to the Western Cape from other provinces over the past five years, mainly from the Eastern Cape, placing the education system in the Western Cape under considerable pressure. The challenge arises when people move to the province without planning in advance or without enrolling their children at a school. It therefore makes it impossible for the WCED to foresee and plan accordingly.

These challenges are made even greater by the concentrated areas into which learners move at short notice.

In 2018, the WCED implemented a placement plan to accommodate continued growth in 2018.

Parents had to apply for places in 2018 by 24 March last year. Schools had to inform parents of the outcome in writing of their applications by 3 June 2017. Parents had to confirm acceptance by the end of the second term, by Friday, 30 June 2017.

Officials and schools planned ahead during the third and fourth terms for 2018, based on known and projected learner numbers.

They have also collaborated to place learners who still needed places. The department is only offering places where places are available and cannot guarantee places at schools of choice.

Each district has officials who are working full time to help parents to place their children as we expect further late arrivals in January and February

To accommodate growth the WCED ordered additional mobile classrooms last year following the approval of the provincial adjustment budget.

Contractors are currently installing mobile classrooms to accommodate growth in rapidly growing communities, and we have some in reserve to allow for flexibility as the department responds to changing demand.

Most of the new mobile classrooms are already in place while others will be ready for occupation during February and March. It takes about six weeks to install mobile classrooms.

District officials will work with schools to inform parents of alternative arrangements while contractors complete the remaining installations.

The WCED will redeploy teachers in excess of requirements at certain schools to schools seeing rapid growth, where possible, depending on the teachers' qualifications.

We do encourage parents who plan to move to the Western Cape not to deregister their child/ children from their current schools before securing a place at a school in the Western Cape.

We urge parents who have arrived in the Western Cape this year to please report to their nearest district office on Monday to register their learners details so that we can place them as quickly as possible.

A list of District Offices and their contact details can be found on the WCED website - https://wcedonline.westerncape.gov.za/branchIDC/Districts/Districts.html

Please also see a list of officials in each district that are responsible for managing admissions.

OFFICIALS RESPONSIBLE FOR MANAGING ADMISSIONS 2018
OFFICE NAME OF OFFICIAL TELEPHONE E-MAIL ADDRESS FAX NO
Head Office Mr. L R Abrahams 021-467 2000 lance.abrahams@westerncape.gov.za 086 540 1277
Cape Winelands Mr. J Goliath 023 348 6000
023-348 4604
jgoliath@westerncape.gov.za 023 342 4138
086 530 9867
Eden & Central Karoo Mr. A Ellmann 044 803 8300
044 803 8309
Albie.Ellman@westerncape.gov.za 044 873 2253
086 743 1845
Metro Central Ms. B Robertson 021 514 6700
021 514 6721
Brenda.Robertson@westerncape.gov.za 021 514 6953
086 629 9984
Metro East Mr. E Magodla 021 900 7173
021 900 7203
Eric.Magodla@westerncape.gov.za 086 650 7390
086 697 7346
Metro North Mr. L Rutgers 021 938 3009
021 938 3009
Leon.Rutgers@westerncape.gov.za 021 938 3187
086 694 3307
Metro South Mrs. L Primo 021 370 2000
021 370 2035
Lynn.Primo@westerncape.gov.za 021 372 1856
Overberg Mr. J Bailey 028 214 7300
021 214 7879
Japie.Bailey@westerncape.gov.za 028 214 7400
086 528 6186
West Coast Ms. A Truter 021 860 1207
021-860 1206
Anlerie.Truter@westerncap.gov.za 086 270 9249

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