WCED to build 842 additional classrooms making at least 26 000 places available
22 November 2022
The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has announced during today’s Standing Committee meeting that it would be constructing an additional 842 classrooms in the current financial year, which far exceeds the construction of 212 classrooms last year. As such, it will provide at least 26 000 places for learners.
It also means that the Western Cape’s ground-breaking initiative will almost 70% larger than the building of 499 classrooms which Gauteng announced at the beginning of the year.
Thanks to the R830 million increase in the WCED’s infrastructure budget this year, it means that 164 classrooms have already been built. A further 510 classrooms are planned for completion by January 2023 and with the remained 168 by March 2023.
Every year, the Western Cape experiences an average growth rate of 17 901 learners entering our education system. This means, as of this year, there were 1 117 080 learners being taught in our schools.
Coupled to the extra 1 143 teachers being appointed to start in the new academic year, the construction of these classrooms is crucial to sustaining our teaching capacity.
During the course of the meeting, the WCED also updated the Committee on the 2023 admissions process for Grade 1 and 8. After receiving 117 270 applications for the 2023 school year, 89.1% have already been placed with the remainder in the process of being placed. Of the total applications submitted, approximately 22 113 were received late. This figure excludes the expected late applications which the WCED expects to receive towards the end of the year.
If there are any parents who have yet to submit their children’s applications, we echo the Department’s call that they urgently contact their respective District Office. However, if there are any appeals which parents would like to make in relation to their child’s placement, we recommend that they contact the Minister’s Office via [email protected].
The DA in the Western Cape welcomes and congratulates the hard work which the Department does on a daily basis, and we look forward to this infrastructure allowing the province to continue to provide quality education to all learners.
Issued by Deidré Baartman, DA Western Cape Spokesperson on Education, 22 November 2022
