Education
(a) Whether the Department can verify that all unplaced learners have been enrolled at schools for the new term, (b) whether the Department’s transport for learners placed at schools outside their residential areas has been sorted out and (c) whether the Department can give an update on the placement of the 4 675 unplaced learners as at January 2022?
[a] As of 25 July 2022, there are 36 learners across all grades seeking placement or transfer in the Western Cape for the 2022 school year, most of whom have recently relocated from another province.
These late applications were all received after 20 June 2022 – just days before schools closed for the winter holidays. The Department is currently working to assist these learners with placement options, and they are dealt with on a case-by-case basis according to their unique circumstances.
The placement/admission of learners is not a once-off process. It is a continuous process throughout the school year. There are various reasons why parents move around, resulting in learners seeking to change schools.
[b] Approval was given for the institution of a temporary learner transport route to transport learners from Phillipi and Mitchells Plain to Gateway High School until the end of the 2022 academic school year.
[c] All the learners for whom placement was still in progress at that point have been placed.
