On Monday, 13 March 2023, the 2024 school admission process begins!
We understand that the admissions process can be a stressful time of year for parents, and we want to share some guidance on how they can prepare to apply for their children to be admitted to a school.
The online application process will be open from 00h01 on 13 March 2023 to 23h59 on 14 April 2023.
We appeal to all parents and caregivers, particularly those who have children entering Grade 1 and Grade 8 next year, to please start gathering together and certifying the necessary documentation required for the application so that they are ready to apply.
The following certified documents will be required for all applications:
The last official school Report Card
Proof of identity:
ID, Birth certificate, or passport of the 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 A police affidavit if these documents are not available
Immunisation card (Road to Health Chart) [Primary Schools only]
Proof of Residence (Rates account, Lease agreement, an affidavit confirming residence).
You can certify copies of your documents at any police station or post office. Keep these copies together, as you will need to submit the hard copies later this year to the final school your child is accepted to.
Getting the necessary certified documentation together in advance will make the online application process a lot easier. It takes roughly 15 minutes to apply and load the documents once you have the documents ready.
Our admissions website is a free service, that is zero-rated so you do not need data to access it.
Information on how to apply, with step-by-step registration and application guidelines and videos are available on the WCED website:
Parents can familiarise themselves with the online application platform in advance to ensure that they are ready to apply with their documents.
We have arranged pop-up admission sites at shopping malls, schools and other facilities, in all 8 education districts to help parents and caregivers who do not have access to internet facilities or need assistance applying online.
Information relating to the 114 sites has been communicated through various channels, including the distribution of pamphlets to all Grade 7 learners, registered Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres, and in selected communities. The information about the sites can also be found on the website. (Examples of these are attached)
We appeal to parents to ensure that they apply on time, so that the necessary planning can take place to further improve the placement process in our province.
The admissions process in the Western Cape starts in the previous school year so that we can obtain the necessary data to plan for growth in the demand for placement in certain areas.
But every year, thousands of parents do not apply for their children during the application period. For the 2023 school year, we received nearly 28 000 late Grade 1 and 8 applications, which affects our planning processes and ability to place learners in time for the new school year.
This is why our campaign message for this year is “Don’t Wait!”
We need to work together to ensure that we receive on-time applications for as many of the Grade 1 and 8 learners needing placement next year as possible before applications close on 14 April 2023.
Don’t wait! Prepare your admission documents today!
Source: Government of South Africa