Record number Grade 1 and 8 applications for 2025
The applications for next year's Grade 1 and 8 admissions in the Eden and Central Karoo district hit 10 337 by closing time on Friday, 12 April. This number is just over 10% of the total of 102 680 applications received by the Western Cape Department of Education for the entire province.
In a recent statement by the ministry, Kerry Mauchline, spokesperson to Minister David Maynier, said they are pleased with this record number of applications. "This is an increase of 5 936 on last year’s time window, during which applications for a total of 96 744 Grade 1 and 8 learners were received," she said. "We thank the parents who put in the effort to applying on time and helping us to plan for a place for their child in a school next year."
Late applications
All applications received after the deadline will be considered late applications, which will only be considered after the applications received on time. Parents will still be able to capture late applications on the online system until 12 May 2024, but they will be flagged as late applications. "It is important to note that the applications have not reopened," said Mauchline.
Parents of Grade 1 and 8 learners who decide to relocate to the Western Cape after late online applications close on 12 May 2024, or who did not apply before this date for any other reason, will need to contact their district office for assistance as soon as possible thereafter. "We urge parents not to wait until the last minute to apply. The window for Grade R applications and transfer requests for Grades 2 - 7 and 9 - 11 will run from 1 to 16 August 2024," said Mauchline.
What happens next?
Now that on-time applications have closed, schools will have a little over a month to consider all the applications they have received.
Parents are reminded that they do not need to drop off their certified hard copies at this stage. They will only need to do so once they have received an offer from a school and accepted the offer as their final choice of school.
Parents will start seeing the outcomes of their applications online from 30 May, and the department will remind them of this as the date approaches. The date has been shifted by a day from 29 May, in order to accommodate the public holiday for the general election.
Parents must then accept or decline successful offers before 14 June, and are encouraged to do so as quickly as possible.
It is especially important for parents to confirm their choice of school speedily when they have received offers from multiple schools. These parents are essentially ‘double parking’ on the system, stopping schools from offering these
places to other applicants until they make their choice.
If a parent has not confirmed their choice by 14 June, the system will automatically confirm their topranked school that has made an offer. All other offers will then be removed, so that those places can be offered to other learners.
"Parents who do not receive an offer on 30 May should not be disheartened; places always open up as parents confirm their final choices. We will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to place every learner whose parents applied on time as quickly as possible," said Mauchline.