The department of education in the Western Cape (WC) continues with an infrastructure expansion programme that will make education accessible to all in the province.
The department announced that it expects to have 1.2 million learners in schools this year as the demand for places in schools increases.
The minister of education in the WC, David Maynier, said the department’s Rapid School Build programme continues to expand access to education in the province at an incredible rate in order to meet this demand. He said nine new schools that were opened in a phased approach have been fully completed for the 2026 school year. “These schools are located in Lwandle, Wallacedene, Blue Downs, Philippi, Tafelsig, Darling, Fisherhaven, and Plettenberg Bay.”
The department is opening the first phases of another two new schools in Ilitha Park High School in Khayelitsha and Brantwood High School in Kuilsriver.
Additional brick and mortar classrooms have also been added to 12 existing schools, and in total, the department has added 175 new classrooms to the system.
A further 21 classrooms are in construction by School Governing Bodies, using funding provided by the education department in the WC, Maynier said.
Schools in the province were able to order top-up textbooks in May last year, with full delivery completed by October at a cost of R58.7 million.
Stationery for non-Section 21 schools, valued at R25.3 million, was delivered by November, and an additional R31.6 million worth of school-related goods was delivered by December.
