Parents and guardians in the North West are urged to work closely with the Provincial Department of Education to ensure the smooth placement of remaining learners for the 2026 academic year.
The Department has noted a high number of parents rejecting the schools allocated to their children, with many repeatedly returning to Local Education Office Hubs in search of alternative placement options.
Departmental spokesperson Vuyo Mantshule said the Rustenburg, Potchefstroom and Mahikeng Local Education Offices have been identified as hotspot areas, experiencing large daily volumes of parents seeking school placements.
“Officials at these offices are working tirelessly each day to assist parents by placing learners in schools where space is available,” Mantshule said.
He reiterated MEC for Education Viola Motsumi’s call for cooperation between parents and the Department in the best interests of learners.
“We appeal to parents who are still seeking placements to cooperate with departmental officials at the hubs. One of the major challenges is that some parents continue to insist on schools of their choice, which are already full. While every learner has a constitutional right to education, placements can only be made where space is available,” Motsumi explained.
The MEC also addressed the practice of parents transferring learners to other schools following academic failure, warning that this approach is often ineffective.
Instead, she encouraged parents to work closely with educators to assess learners’ subject choices and explore other support mechanisms to improve academic performance.
