POLOKWANE – Learners who were rejected for schools of their choice have until September 30 to submit an appeal, the Department of Education confirmed.

The appeal process opened on Monday, following circuit-level assessments of applications in August. Department spokesperson Mike Maringa told Polokwane Observer that appeal applications must be submitted at the respective district offices.

As in previous years, the department received an overwhelming number of applications, but ongoing infrastructural shortages continue to limit the number of learners schools can accommodate. Maringa noted that additional schools and extra classrooms in existing schools are needed to meet demand.

He said that accepted applications will be based on feeder zone eligibility – meaning learners will be placed in schools closest to their addresses, not necessarily their preferred schools.

The department could not provide exact figures for received, accepted or rejected applications, as many are still being processed manually at school level.

Maringa urged appellants to address any issues noted in their rejection letters to improve their chances of acceptance and reminded them to submit appeals on time to ensure smooth school operations at the start of 2026.

“Take note to apply to schools near your home and do not submit false documents, as these will lead to rejection during further assessments,” he added.