Cape Town - The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) aims to build seven schools in six months as part of a larger infrastructure build programme to add seats for learners in the Western Cape.
The standing committee on education was briefed by the WCED yesterday on a number of issues related to learner admissions for 2023.
Education MEC David Maynier said the department had placed 100 302 or 89.1% of Grade 1 and 8 learners for the 2023 academic year, with the department in the process of placing a further 12 786 or 10.9% of learners.
The WCED announced one of its biggest and speediest infrastructure build projects in recent years, to see 842 additional classrooms built with at least 26 000 places. This was made possible by an R830 million increase to the WCED’s 2022/23 infrastructure budget.
The projects will include three brick-and-mortar new and replacement schools, five new mobile schools, new classroom builds with 645 additional classrooms, and seven Rapid School Build projects.
In previous years, it took more than four years to build a school.
“We have already completed 164 classrooms planned for next year, and a further 510 are scheduled for completion by January 2023, with the final 168 by March 2023,” Maynier said.
WCED head Brent Walters said some of the risks to the project include social unrest, extortion demands, strikes, and availability and delivery of building materials.
The department sees an increase of 17 901 learners on average annually, with existing infrastructure unable to accommodate the growth.
In terms of admissions, the WCED received 117 270 applications for Grades 1 and 8 for 2023, with 22 113 late applications received.
Maynier said the department was still struggling to reach some parents to offer a placement, with more late applications expected at the end of the year onwards.
Committee member Christopher Fry said: “My daughter was rejected three times from three different schools, and when I asked for a reason I was never given one.”