• Western Cape will stop accepting new grade 1 and grade 8 learners for the 2025 academic year by the end of the week.
• Over 67 000 learners have already applied for grade 1 and grade 8 next year.
• The Western Cape provincial government is concerned that over 40 000 grade 7s are yet to apply.

The deadline to complete registrations for grade 1 and grade 8 learners in the Western Cape province for the 2025 academic year will end this week Friday, 12th April 2024 at 23:59.

There are apparently still thousands of parents and guardians who have yet to register their children for next year, and the Western Cape provincial government is appealing to them to apply as soon as possible in order to secure a spot in a school without future hassle.

So far, over 67 000 applications for grade 1 and grade 8 learners have been sent in online, but parents can also head to the over 120 pop-up centres at malls and schools to finalise their admissions. The province says that over 40 000 grade 7 learners have yet to apply for grade 8.

The provincial government is looking to get as many applications as soon as possible in order to properly plan for the 2025 academic year. Every year across South Africa, there are always a few thousand learners in each of the most populous provinces that struggles to find placement at schools because of late admissions.

“Last year, we received over 125 000 Grade 1 and 8 applications, so we appeal to the parents of roughly 65 000 learners who still need to apply to do so immediately. Receiving all the applications on time will make a big difference to our planning and preparations for 2025,” the Western Cape MEC for Education David Maynier said in March.

Western Cape requires a host of documents that need to be certified before school admissions can be recorded both online and in-person. Certifications of copies can be done at post offices or police stations across the province.

Documents that are required include:

• The last official report card for the learner,
• Proofs of identity, including ID, birth certificate or passport of learner,
• In the case of a foreign learner: a passport, or a study permit or proof of application for a study permit, or a copy of the parent’s Asylum seeker or Refugee Permit or police affidavit that documents are not available,
• Immunisation card for primary school learners,
• Proof of residence.

Western Cape is looking to fill out its quota of school admissions for new grade 1s and grade 8s early, as the other provinces have yet to even announce open admissions for 2025. Every province opens admissions at different dates and times, and only a handful have online portals.

Last year, over 700 000 learners registered for the year. More are expected this year.

[Image – Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash]