CAPE TOWN – The Western Cape Education Department has received more than 600 new late applications for grade one and eight pupils since the start of January.
Thousands of learners countrywide are expected back at schools next Wednesday.
Before schools closed in December, the department announced that it had allocated places for 99% of learners in those grades.
Education MEC David Maynier said that since then, more late applications had been received and they anticipate many more in the coming weeks.
“We have already received 609 new, extremely late applications in the first 10 days of January 2024, and placement is currently in progress for 2,636 Grade 1 and 8 learners.”