WCED races to place 7 300 late applications
Cosatu in the Western Cape said it was already hearing from parents whose children have not been placed in schools. File
Image: FILE/ Ayanda Ndamane/ Independent Media
NEW late applications for over 7 300 Grade R, 1, and 8 learners, placed extreme pressure on the Western Cape Education Department (WCED), particularly during the holiday period, it said.
These are new applications arriving more than seven months after the application window has closed.
This comes as learners are expected to return to classrooms on 14 January, with questions again being raised about whether the WCED is adequately prepared for the 2026 school year, especially in poorer communities where placement delays and overcrowding have become a yearly occurrence.
Cosatu in the Western Cape said it was already hearing from parents whose children have not been placed in schools.
Cosatu Provincial Secretary, Malvern du Bruyn said: "Year after year, we don’t see any plans from the department that work to address the issues faced by learners and parents.
"Kids are not placed in schools and end up staying at home for a full year, and then the department shifts the blame to parents."
According to Cosatu, the persistence of placement failures points to a deeper lack of long-term planning, which impacts disadvantaged children.
The union also raised concerns about inequality across the provincial schooling system, saying that the challenges of overcrowding remain concentrated in Black and Coloured working-class communities.
"When we visit Model C schools in affluent areas, classrooms typically accommodate about 30 learners. But in Black and coloured areas, you find classrooms with more than 60 learners in one classroom."
Cosatu said the full scale of the problem often only becomes visible after the academic year begins.
According to the WCED, as of 15 December 2025, the department had successfully placed 96.3 percent of learners in Grades R, 1, and 8 for the 2026 school year.
"Placement is still in progress for 7 238 learners, representing 3.7 percent," the department said, adding that updated figures would be released once verified.
The department also noted that it was in a better position compared to the previous year, having placed learners faster overall.
It added that it was ready for the 2026 school year and has taken steps to address infrastructure and resource needs in schools across the province.