As the deadline for online application for the 2023 academic year closed at midnight on Friday, the ANC said it would go to court if need be as 17 unplaced Grade 8 pupils were still without a school.
The deadline came amid calls from opposition party leaders and lobby groups to extend the process in order to afford parents who had been struggling the opportunity to do so.
Applications received after April 15 were regarded as late applicants, who were only considered after the others had been placed.
And according to the department, more than 140 000 applications had already been processed.
Western Cape Education Department (WCED) spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said the department was trying to contact parents of unplaced pupils.
“The WCED has been trying to contact parents to make arrangements for placement. A number of learners were placed successfully during the holiday period,” she said.
Wesbank mom Valerie Irma October said her 14-year-old foster child was still unplaced despite her efforts.
“I had problems with the online system,” she said.
“No one came back to me when I phoned. I even went to schools myself to apply manually, but I was told that I’m not allowed to.”
The ANC in the Western Cape said the department’s refusal to extend the process was unacceptable.
“Every year hundreds of learners miss out on an entire first term of schooling due to not being placed in schools,” said the party’s spokesperson for education, Muhammad Khalid Saye.
“Part of contributing factors are challenges around the online application platform.”
This week lobby group AfriForum also asked the WCED to extend the deadline.
In the letter, seen by the Weekend Argus, from the group’s head of cultural affairs, Alana Bailey, it said: “It has come to AfriForum’s attention via social media that, despite all the efforts to assist parents made by the department, many are still having trouble to apply for admission for their children in 2023.
“As time is running out rapidly, we would like to know whether any postponement of the cut-off date would be considered.”
In response to their letter, the department’s Acting Chief Education Specialist Patricia van Niekerk said there was no need to extend the application process.
"The admissions system will remain open for the next 30 days to allow parents to capture late applications.
“Furthermore, schools and the WCED can still capture late applications at any stage.”
But the department argued that its system was not a problem and that the online platform had made it easier for parents to apply and has cut bureaucratic red tape.
“The online system has been operational since 2019. It is not a new system. We are also not the only province to use an online system,” said Hammond.
“The system has vastly improved administrative efficiency and accuracy.
“Parents receive immediate confirmation of the submission of their application via SMS and/or email and are able to track the process on the system.”
Hammond confirmed the department’s stance to not extend the deadline as “parents had ample time in which to apply”.
“While most people dislike admin tasks such as this, it is an extremely important one,” Hammond said.
Khalid said his party was considering its options on the matter including “going to court since the WCED did not extend the deadline and learners are now left behind”.
The National Professional Teachers' Organisation of South Africa (Naptosa) said it was “quite perturbed” by the number of unplaced learners.
“The Western Cape worries us in particular,” said Basil Manuel, Naptosa’s executive director.
“We want to see that these learners get placed urgently. Remember that the MEC has an obligation to see that children get schooling.
“We are sympathetic to the problems provinces have, but we are not sympathetic when it has an impact on the lives of children.”