Two weeks into the 2026 school calendar, school placement remains a challenge for many parents across the country, with thousands of learners still without confirmed spaces. 

The Minister of Education, Innovation, Sports, Arts and Culture, Sanet Steenkamp, said temporary alternative measures, including the introduction of platoon school systems, are being considered to address the backlog.
Dr Steenkamp has urged parents to remain calm, saying the ministry is working tirelessly to ensure that all learners are placed.

"We are so aware as a ministry that there are quite a number of children not being placed yet. What I can tell the nation is that all regional directors with their admission committees are busy verifying the numbers.  It's much less than what is ."

She added that alternative measures, including the use of platoon schools, are being considered as temporary solutions to address overcrowding and capacity constraints.

"So two things are happening. One, the provision of tents to the directorates for those that cannot do the platoon system. The platoon system requires a second set of appointments of teachers, which is also a possibility. But then you have the downside of a platoon system, which is that there are children that will start in the afternoon. And we all know that socioeconomic conditions and the children being left alone at home are not ideal."

Steenkamp said an official update on school placements will be announced on 2 February 2026, which marks the ministry's 15-day deadline to resolve outstanding placement cases.
The ongoing delays have sparked frustration among parents, particularly in urban areas where schools continue to face severe space shortages.