A Cape Town mother’s experience navigating the Western Cape Education Department’s (WCED) Grade 8 online application process has been nothing short of a nightmare, leaving her with unanswered questions and a sense of deep frustration. The 41-year-old mother, from Kuilsriver, who has two children, meticulously followed the prescribed steps when applications opened in May 2024. She was online the moment the portal became available, determined to avoid any technical hiccups. She selected six schools for her 13-year-old son, hopeful that at least one would accept him.
However, when the results came in August, her son had been rejected by all six schools. The reason? Over-subscription. Despite her timely application, the competition for spaces was fierce, and her son had been shut out. This rejection sparked a whirlwind of appeals and frantic follow-ups, which only deepened her sense of helplessness. She sent multiple emails, visited schools directly, and even sought assistance from the WCED district offices in Kuilsriver and Parow. But the response was discouraging. One school told her they didn’t have a waiting list due to the volume of applicants. Another school reiterated that they couldn’t accommodate any more learners.
As weeks passed, the mother’s anxiety grew. With each rejection, she felt more powerless. She couldn’t fathom how schools, such as De Kuilen High School, could receive over 2,000 applications for just 430 spots. She questioned the system’s ability to manage such overwhelming demand and the fate of the hundreds of other children caught in the same dilemma. For her son, the constant uncertainty was emotionally taxing. Every night, he would ask, “Mom, have you heard anything yet?” As the family sat together, anxiously waiting for news, her son would pray each evening, asking for a school placement that seemed increasingly elusive.
Eventually, the family did receive an offer from a school, but it wasn’t one they were willing to accept. The school, with a less-than-ideal reputation, had reports of violence, which terrified the young boy. The mother, unwilling to force her son into an environment that could potentially harm his well-being, decided against accepting the offer, despite the looming pressure of time.
With the start of the academic year drawing nearer, the family found themselves in an agonizing position. They had no choice but to make a last-minute decision to pay for a private school, a financial burden they were fortunate enough to bear. The mother couldn’t help but wonder about the families who were not in a position to afford such a solution. “What happens to those families?” she asked. “What if they don’t have the means to send their children to a private school? This process has been exhausting for us, and we are privileged to be able to pay for a solution, but what about others?”
In response, Bronagh Hammond, spokesperson for the WCED, acknowledged the challenges many parents face. She emphasized that although the department strives to accommodate every learner, the reality is that demand often far exceeds capacity. For instance, De Kuilen High School, which received over 2,100 applications for Grade 8, could only offer places to around 430 students. Hammond explained that when parents apply to schools with high demand, the chances of not receiving an offer increase, especially if those schools are oversubscribed.
Despite these setbacks, Hammond reassured parents that the department is working to expand schools in high-demand areas by adding classrooms and even building new schools to alleviate some of the pressure. District offices are also actively working to find alternative placements for learners who have yet to be placed. Hammond emphasized that parents can assist by keeping their contact details up to date, as this would help ensure timely communication when a space becomes available.
As of mid-January 2025, the WCED was still in the process of placing 2,321 Grade 8 learners, including those who had made extremely late applications after January 1. The WCED’s online system has processed more than 114,000 applications for both Grade 1 and Grade 8. However, the department explained that the online system does not determine placements directly; each school receives the applications and makes its own decisions based on available spaces.
For the mother in Kuilsriver, however, the experience was one of immense stress, confusion, and ultimately, disillusionment. While the department works to manage an overwhelming number of applications, it is clear that the system’s shortcomings have left many families like hers feeling unsupported and anxious about their children’s futures.
