- Introduction of New Draft Regulations for School Admissions: The Department of Basic Education has proposed two draft regulations aimed at changing how learners are admitted to public schools and how school capacity is determined, with a public comment period ending on September 5, 2025.
- Impact on Stakeholders: These regulations will influence parents, governing bodies, and communities, especially in areas facing overcrowding and late placements, by establishing guidelines on space allocation, admission policies, and dispute resolution.
- Public Engagement and Support: The Democratic Alliance (DA) has welcomed the opportunity for public participation, emphasizing the need for careful planning, resources, and cooperation among departments, schools, and communities to ensure successful implementation.
The Department of Basic Education has released two draft regulations for public comment that could significantly change how learners are admitted to public schools and how school capacity is determined. The draft Learner Admission Regulations and School Capacity Regulations are open for submissions until Friday, 5 September 2025.
These proposals will directly affect parents seeking placements for their children, governing bodies managing admissions, and communities where overcrowding and late placements are ongoing challenges. The regulations outline how available space should be allocated, how admission policies should be applied, and how disputes over placement should be resolved.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has welcomed the opportunity for public engagement and is encouraging parents, educators, and school governing bodies to participate in the process. They emphasised that while the intent is positive, effective implementation will require careful planning, adequate resources, and close cooperation between provincial departments, schools, and communities.
The DA will engage with school governing bodies, parent associations, teacher unions, and community organisations to collect practical insights on how the regulations will work in daily school operations. They stressed that capacity calculations must be backed by real infrastructure investment and that admissions processes must remain responsive to local needs while complying with the law.
According to the DA, this collaborative approach can ensure that the regulations uphold learner access, strengthen school governance, and help deliver quality education for all. The Eastern Cape, they said, deserves policies that are both principled and practical, ensuring every child can learn in a safe and well-resourced environment.
