Western Cape Schools Admission Policy Challenged In Court

The Western Cape High Court is hearing an application by Equal Education on Thursday to have the Western Cape Education Departments school admission policy declared unconstitutional. Equal Education argues the policy does not cater for children with late applications.

The case focuses specifically on the placement of learners in the Metro East Education District MEED. The six applicants in the case include Equal Education and five parents or caregivers of children who made late applications in the 2024 school year.

The children relocated from the Eastern Cape to the Western Cape due to unforeseen circumstances. In one instance, a learners mother passed away. In another, her mother relocated to Johannesburg to work as a domestic worker. Anothers mother was retrenched due to the COVID pandemic.

These circumstances led to the parents and caregivers only applying for school placement after the school year had already begun.