GEORGE NEWS - Registration for prospective Grade 1 and 8 learners for the 2023 school year is now open from 15 March till 15 April.

The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) opens applications in advance in an effort to ensure that all learners are placed. For this school year alone, more than 70 000 late applications were received. 

According to DA MPP Deidré Baartman, late registrations is a continual problem.

In a statement this week, she said the opportunity for learners to register in advance is critical in order for learner placements to be confirmed before the start of the new academic year. 

She appealed to parents and guardians to register their children on the department's website.

"All children in South Africa are dependent on their parents or guardians in order to be placed in schools."

The process should take no longer than 15 minutes. The website is zero rated and therefore free.

All WCED district offices are available to assist parents. In the Eden and Central Karoo, parents may contact Ricardo Davids on 044 803 8370 / Ricardo.Davids@westerncape.gov.za or Johan van der Merwe on 044 803 8323 / Johan.vanderMerwe@westerncape.gov.za.

Mobile classrooms and school replacement projects
The department has also implemented a number of measures to help mitigate the problem of unplaced learners. In total, 129 mobile classrooms have been delivered in the current financial year and 173 more are in the process of being delivered. 

A total of 28 school replacement projects have been listed for implementation over the next three years. 

Furthermore, 97 vacant classrooms have been identified for repairs. These classrooms will accommodate more than 4 600 learners.

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