Western Cape education department denies racial discrimination in school admissions

The department stated that its admissions decisions are based on available space, feeder zones, and application date, not race. This presentation followed concerns raised by the Department of Basic Education DBE regarding the province's admissions system, which noted that only African and Coloured pupils appeared on waiting lists. The WCED indicated it had not received the final DBE investigation report and therefore conducted its own review of admission policies at 10 public schools with the highest number of applications for 2025.

This review found no evidence of racial profiling or the use of race as an admission criterion, noting that all 10 schools prohibited unfair discrimination in their policies. The WCED also analyzed 431 extremely late Grade 10 applications received in February 2026, finding no evidence of racial filtering. The department attributed the demographic profile of late applicants to migration, particularly from the Eastern Cape.

The high volume of late applications, with 70,520 placed in the 2026 academic year, places significant pressure on resources. For 2027, the WCED plans to strengthen admissions planning and continues to address a legal challenge involving Equal Education, with an appeal granted to the Supreme Court of Appeal.