POLICY DISPUTE: Western Cape denies DBE claims of discriminatory school admissions
The Department of Basic Education has flagged discriminatory admission practices in Western Cape schools after a national monitoring exercise found widespread policy breaches and exclusionary criteria. However, the Western Cape Education Department vehemently denied racial profiling and said its own review of 10 high-demand schools found no evidence of bias.
The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has raised concerns about discriminatory learner admission practices in Western Cape schools following a national monitoring exercise. The exercise, requested by Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, found widespread policy breaches and exclusionary criteria in the region. However, the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) vehemently denied these allegations, stating that its own review of 10 high-demand schools found no evidence of bias.
The DBE examined admission policies, application forms, placement criteria, waiting lists, and held discussions with school principals across all nine provinces, with a particular focus on the Western Cape. The findings were tested against the Constitution, the South African Schools Act, and key court judgments. The DBE highlighted discriminatory application practices, placement criteria favoring high academic performers, and the use of extracurricular activities as criteria, which were not allowed in public schools.
The monitoring also exposed how admission processes favoured children from more privileged backgrounds, with some schools requiring proof of parental employment and others discarding applications without considering the child's eligibility.
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