Last week, GroundUp visited the Metro North Education District of the Western Cape Education Department and saw dozens of parents seeking help at the offices to find school places.
GroundUp spoke to a parent, who gave her name as Unity. She said she was there to look for a place for a cousin whose parents both died last year. Western Cape Education Department spokesperson Bronagh Hammond told GroundUp that in terms of general admissions, as of 20 December 2022, 111,616 Grade 1 and Grade 8 learners had been placed for this school year. Placing of a further 680 Grade 1 and Grade 8 learners is in process.
“We are currently building 842 additional classrooms for the 2023 school year which will accommodate at least 26,000 places for learners in the province. This is an unprecedented building programme. We are building the equivalent of one school every four days, or eight classes per day on average, to accommodate needs. We are also appointing up to 1,143 additional teachers in the system this year.”