Katlego Sekhu
- The Department of Basic Education emphasises that South African law requires all public schools to admit learners, even if they lack official documents.
- Admission documents serve only to verify identity and guardianship.
- The DBE warns against misinformation circulating on social media that discourages schools from admitting undocumented learners.
The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has issued an urgent clarification following the circulation of misleading information on social media regarding school admission requirements in South Africa.
The department warns that false claims and inaccurate graphics are being shared to deliberately instigate negative attitudes toward undocumented learners.
In an official media statement, the DBE emphasised a fundamental principle: no child may be denied access to education due to missing documents.
According to the South African Schools Act (SASA), as amended by the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act of 2024, all public schools are legally required to admit learners and provide education without unfair discrimination of any kind.
Section 5(1) of the Act states clearly:
“A public school must admit, and provide education to, learners and must serve their educational requirements for the duration of their school attendance without unfairly discriminating in any way.”
Section 5(1A) goes further, explicitly stating:
“Learners must be allowed to attend school even if required documents have not yet been provided.”
This means that principals and schools cannot turn away learners simply because they do not yet have official documents such as birth certificates or identity cards. Instead, schools must guide parents and guardians to secure the necessary documentation while the child continues learning.
The Department reminds the public that admission documents serve a purely administrative purpose: to verify identity and guardianship, not to determine eligibility for education.
Documentary requirements vary depending on the learner’s circumstances:
For Learners with South African Parents
Required Documents:
- Unabridged birth certificate
- Parent(s)’ South African ID or ID card
- Death certificate(s) if parent(s) are deceased
Purpose: Confirms the learner’s identity and parentage
For Learners Whose Parents Are Foreign Nationals (Temporary or Permanent Residents)
Required Documents:
- Learner’s foreign birth certificate and passport
- Study visa or residence permit
- Parents’ passports and visas/permits
Purpose: Confirms the learner’s identity and lawful residence
What this means for parents and schools
For Parents and Guardians:
- Your child cannot be turned away from school due to missing documents
- You should work to secure necessary documentation, but your child can attend school while this process continues
- If a school refuses admission based on missing documents, it is violating the law
For Schools and Principals:
- You are legally required to admit learners even without complete documentation
- You must advise families on securing documents while allowing the child to continue learning
- Refusing admission based on missing documents constitutes unfair discrimination
- The Department of Basic Education urges the public to verify information from official sources and to resist sharing misleading content that undermines children’s constitutional right to education.
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