The Limpopo Education Department is facing possible legal action over the manner in which the department’s controversial online admissions system is used as well as pending disputes regarding the online placements of learners for 2027. In July this year, the school governing body association FEDSAS issued a formal letter of demand in this regard. The organisation then suggested formal mediation in accordance with Section 59A of the Schools’ Act. This took place in September under the auspices of the Department of Basic Education. However, in October FEDSAS had to send two further letters to point out ongoing issues. 

“Despite numerous efforts our objections to the framework for learner admissions and the online system have not been resolved,” says Dr Juané van der Merwe-Mocke, Deputy CEO of FEDSAS and the organisation’s Head of Legal Services. Van der Merwe-Mocke says following another meeting on 5 November 2026, FEDSAS issued a final letter of demand earlier this week. The department has until today at noon (12 November 2026) to confirm in writing that the outcomes of the mediation as well as the subsequent meetings will be implemented properly. If not, FEDSAS will lodge an urgent court application.

“In short, the department uses general criteria and a uniform algorithm to place learners at schools. The system does not make provision for differences between schools. Schools’ own admissions policy and criteria are not considered at all,” says Van der Merwe-Mocke. 

The mediation outcomes make provision for, among others, meaningful verification according to schools’ admissions policy prior to final placement. On 26 October 2026, FEDSAS participated in a practical demonstration and verification of the online system. According to FEDSAS, it was clear that the system ranked applicants according to the department’s general criteria. The limited time available for schools’ verification and objection functions meant that there was not sufficient time for schools to apply their own legal admissions policy prior to placement. “The developers also indicated that they did not receive any instructions to adapt the system. Schools’ only option remains to object to a system decision. In addition, a school has only 24 hours to verify the information and submit an objection.” 

It has been FEDSAS’s opinion from the outset that the framework and the application thereof through the online system is limiting schools in the application of their own legal admissions policy prior to placement. “Our view is that the department cannot simply replace this policy with a uniform set of departmental criteria and a computer system. This deprives the school governing body of its policy-making authority,” says Van der Merwe-Mocke. She says the outcome of the mediation was that the system would only make recommendations. Schools would then be able to test these recommendations against their legal admissions policy and make the necessary adjustments before communicating the final placements to parents. 

During further mediation on 30 October 2026, it was agreed that the schools involved would receive complete applicant lists and that they would have enough time to apply their own legal admissions policy. The schools would then be able discuss their proposed placements and objections with FEDSAS as well as the provincial and national education departments. These school-specific discussions started on 5 November 2026 in Polokwane, during which agreement was also reached on corrections to individual placements.

The manner in which schools with hostels are handled is also problematic, with the system prioritising learners living closest to a school instead of the other way around. Van der Merwe-Mocke says the system also does not provide for the legal and relevant placement assessments of focus schools, such as technical or agricultural schools. The mediation outcomes do make provision in this regard. During the discussions on 5 November 2026, steps were recorded to place qualifying learners in the available hostel spaces and to consider applications at technical and agricultural schools according to the relevant application requirements. 

After placement SMSs were sent to parents on 7 and 8 November 2026, several schools reported that the agreed upon corrections were not reflected in the placement lists. According to these schools, the names of certain learners were still absent from the lists despite agreement in this regard. Schools have also disputed additional placements due to, among others, language of education and available spaces.

Earlier this year, FEDSAS advised its member schools in Limpopo to implement a parallel school-based application process. “We asked parents to apply using the online system but to submit an application directly at the school as well. Such a process required formal approval and minuting by the school’s governing body,” says Hennie Combrink, FEDSAS’s provincial manager in Limpopo. Schools that followed this parallel process had to keep comprehensive records of the direct applications. According to Combrink this information could be used to save the day should the system fail or if changes are required in accordance with the mediation outcomes or possible legal action.

FEDSAS CEO Dr Jaco Deacon says the online system appears to be an extension of the Limpopo Education Department’s abuse of power. “By default, the system strips governing bodies of their statutory authority and places it in the hands of the provincial head of education. It also serves as an additional barrier between parents and the department, who can now simply blame it on ‘the system’.”