Media Release
Minister of Education Debbie Schäfer
Western Cape

6 September, 2018

Over 8 000 learner places being blocked by parents who have not confirmed placement.

Statement by Minister Debbie Schäfer, Minister of Education

The WCED has an admission system in place called the School Admissions Management Information (SAMI), that can determine whether learners have been captured twice or more on school admission lists.

The SAMI admission data indicates that 8101 places are currently being blocked by parents who have not confirmed which schools they will accept for placement in 2019.

These are cases in which learners have been accepted to more than one school. Therefore their names appear on multiple admission lists, thus blocking up potential placements of learners on waiting lists.

Parents are encouraged to apply to more than one school and, in some cases, learners have been accepted at up to 4 different schools.

Parents are encouraged then to ensure that they inform each of these schools whether they either accept or decline admission.

If parents DO NOT contact the schools to let them know if they are accepting or turning down a place, then the principals of the schools will have no option but to give the places to other learners on their waiting lists who have applied.

We appeal to parents of learners who have been accepted at more than one school, and who have not confirmed their child's place as yet, to contact their school of choice within the next 10 school days or face the prospect of losing the place at all the schools where they have applied.

There are many learners who have been disappointed either because they did not get into their school of choice, or into any school at all. Freeing up these spaces will take the strain off thousands of learners who could potentially get into their school of choice, or are now accepted at a school. This relieves the stress of many people, including our officials, who are working hard to currently accommodate everyone.

The main blockages are at Grade 8 level, where over 5 000 learners are registered as being accepted at more than one school.

Our schools are already full. So we ask parents please to do the responsible thing and to make a decision on a school for 2019.

Media enquiries:
Jessica Shelver
Tel: 021 483 6570
E-mail: Jessica.Shelver@westerncape.gov.za