Cape Town - As more parents continue to complain about their children not being placed at schools, the ANC in the province has said that the crisis of unplaced learners was jeopardising the future of young people.
This after the Western Cape Department of Education said that the number of learners in the province had increased by an average of 19 000 learners a year over the past five years, creating significant pressure for places in areas of highest demand.
ANC Member of the Provincial Legislature (MPL) Khalid Sayed said it was disheartening to note that the provincial government had been quick to shift blame on to the applicants, citing late submissions as the primary cause of the crisis.
“The crisis threatens the future of thousands of young people – the perennial problem of unplaced learners in our schools, which this administration denies. As we approach January 2024, the spectre of unplaced learners looms large, casting a shadow over the educational landscape of our province,” said Sayed.
He said the heart of the issue lay in the inherent disparities within the Western Cape’s education system.
“Rather than providing fair opportunities for all, the system seems designed to cater to the privileged few, predominantly white, leaving black learners with substandard education in overcrowded classrooms bereft of basic amenities. This systemic injustice must be addressed urgently.”
He said the lack of transparency regarding the number of learners not yet placed in schools was worrying.
Education MEC David Maynier said his department had already received more than 22000 late applications and that thousands of learners would arrive in the first term next year needing placement.
“We do not know where they will seek placement or what their grades, languages, ages or subject choices will be. So planning our resource allocation for these extremely late applicants in advance is thus very difficult, and their parents will have to wait some time before their child is placed,” said Maynier.
He said: “We understand that this is a stressful and anxious period for parents. As a department, we are asking parents to work with us, as we try to accommodate their children as soon as possible. Our officials and schools are working hard under extreme pressure to make sure that they find a place for every child.
“We are leaving no stone unturned in our effort to place every learner, and we will continue to work to finalise placement for all remaining learners. That is why we are investing so heavily in our Rapid School Build to expand the number of schools and classrooms available.”