CAPE TOWN - Thousands of pupils in Gauteng and the Western Cape remain unplaced as the two provinces face migration pressures and budget constraints.
On the sidelines of the SONA debate in Parliament, Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube addressed the problem, saying that the overcrowding issue has ramifications for school safety.
In the Western Cape alone, over 2,000 children are still waiting for school transfers while applications are being processed.
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Since January, officials say they've received almost 26,000 late applications.
"Both of these provinces always have these kinds of pressures," she said.
"I want to assure parents that I know, while this anxiety-inducing, that their children will be placed."