MEC Debbie Schäfer on 2021 School Admissions Process

Update on 2021 School Admissions Process

Just over a month ago, the WCED announced revised dates for the 2020 school admissions process in the Western Cape.

We are now in the first phase of offers, and parents can expect to hear the outcome of their applications up to 22 June. It is crucial that parents accept their offers of places by 3 July 2020 at the latest, and the sooner they do so, the sooner schools can determine how many spaces they have left.

Parents can accept by going onto the system under Track applications and confirming their final choice, or they can hand in a confirmation letter/reply slip to the school where their application was successful.

If a child has been accepted at more than one school, the parent must confirm acceptance at ONE of the schools on the list where the application was successful. This is very important – if multiple places are being held for a single learner, this makes it much harder for other learners to find places.  If parents do not make their choice by 3 July, the WCED will start allocating learners to their highest choice, and will remove them from the lists of other schools they applied to. 

Unfortunately, the reality is that we don’t have enough space for all the learners that apply. There is a high demand for places. 382 169 individual applications to schools were completed and submitted by parents during the month-long window for applications this year, an increase on last year’s figures.  Even taking into account that parents submitted multiple applications, the demand for space is clear.

This means that learners might not be able to be placed at their first choice of school. We ask parents to be understanding in this regard. They are of course welcome to contact their school of choice and appeal to the SGB, as well as ask that their child be placed on the waiting list in case any spaces become available.

Parents who receive notifications that their applications have been unsuccessful from all schools they applied to must remain calm. It is important to understand that the process is not yet complete. Once parents who have received offers of a place have accepted these, the WCED and schools will have a better idea of where there are still spaces available. Schools will apply their admission policies in terms of their waiting lists and they could accept learners who have been on waiting lists.

I urge all parents to read the frequently asked questions on the WCED enrolment page for more information:

https://wcedonline.westerncape.gov.za/admissions-201920

Enquiries:
Kerry Mauchline – Spokesperson to Minister Debbie Schäfer
E-mail: Kerry.Mauchline@westerncape.gov.za
Cell: 084 210 3003 (Whatsapp preferred)

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