Equal Education and Sadtu applaud WCED’s plan to tackle late school applications
Equal Education and SADTU have welcomed the Western Cape Education Department’s 10-day plan to manage placements and resources amid late school applications.
Image: Ian Landsberg
Education stakeholders Equal Education (EE) and the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) in the Western Cape have expressed optimism about the Western Cape Education Department’s (WCED) plans to manage late school applications and learner placements for the 2026 academic year, particularly through its planned 10-day snap survey.
The WCED is currently dealing with a high volume of late applications for Grades R, 1 and 8.
As of 7 January 2026, the department had placed 180,960 learners, approximately 96% of applications received, leaving 7,540 learners still awaiting placement. Since 1 November 2025, the department has received 10,666 late applications, including 758 considered "extremely late" applications submitted in January alone.
Late applications continue to place strain on the system, particularly during the school holiday period.
"Late applications create considerable challenges for the WCED. They disrupt planning for learner placement, resource allocation, and staffing," the department said, noting that placement discussions can only resume once schools reopen.
Equal Education junior organiser Fikile Sibisi said the organisation is hopeful that the WCED’s 10-day snap survey will play a critical role in easing placement pressures. The survey will be conducted once schools have been open for ten days, allowing the system to stabilise before accurate reporting takes place.
"Every year we see lengthy queues at education district offices filled with parents who are frustrated due to their concerns regarding the placement of their child," said Sibisi.
"Many of them have not yet heard back from schools and have learners who are not placed in school, others are parents who have children that were placed at schools which are too far away."
Sadtu Western Cape secretary Sibongile Kwazi also welcomed the department’s forward plan, saying lessons from the 2025 placement process highlight the importance of early interventions. She noted that the 10-day survey could assist schools with limited resources and help place outstanding learners more efficiently once accurate data is available.
The WCED said it will intensify engagements with school principals and management teams as staff return, identifying additional capacity created through finalised promotion and enrolment lists. The department has also built 175 new classrooms through new schools and expansions.
"The WCED is actively working to secure placement opportunities for learners who are still awaiting allocation," the department said.
"We understand that this is a stressful and anxious period for parents, and we are asking parents to work with us as we try to accommodate their children as soon as possible."