Grade R is compulsory, but 4,844 schools still have no Grade R class

Grade R is compulsory in South Africa, and parents who ignore a written warning to send their child to school can face a fine or up to 12 months in jail. But the Department of Basic Education told Parliament on Tuesday, 10 November, that 4,844 public primary schools still have no Grade R classroom (Inside Education, Parliament).

That gap matters right now, because parents are applying for 2027 school places.

Which children must be in Grade R in 2027?

Under the amended South African Schools Act, school is compulsory from Grade R on the first school day of the year in which a child turns six. It stays compulsory until the last school day of the year the child turns 15 or finishes Grade 9, whichever comes first (Schools Act as amended by BELA, Acts Online).

In practice, a child who turns six at any point in 2027 (born in 2021) must be enrolled in Grade R at a school from the first school day of 2027, unless they are registered for home education or the provincial head of department has exempted them.

The rule has applied since 24 December 2024, when this part of the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act took effect (Acts Online).

Can parents really be fined or jailed?

Yes, but only after a warning. If a child of compulsory school age is not enrolled or does not attend, the provincial head of department may first investigate and try to fix the problem. If that fails, the department can send the parent a written notice (Schools Act, section 3).

A parent who, without just cause, still does not comply after that notice commits an offence. On conviction, the court can impose a fine, up to 12 months in prison, or both, or another sentence under the Criminal Procedure Act (Schools Act, section 3). The Act does not set a fixed fine amount. Anyone else who stops a child from attending school without just cause faces the same penalties.

The department's own guidelines recommend that the written notice give reasons and evidence, and invite the parent to respond and explain before any charge (DBE guidelines, June 2025.pdf?ver=2025-06-12-165524-857)).

What if my child's school has no Grade R class?

The law puts the duty on provinces too. Every provincial education MEC must make sure there are enough school places for every child in the province who is required to attend (Schools Act, section 3).

The DBE guidelines say a parent whose child of compulsory school age has not been placed at a school should take it up with the nearest office of the provincial education department, which can help find a place (DBE guidelines.pdf?ver=2025-06-12-165524-857)).

The guidelines also note that compulsory Grade R must happen at a school, public or independent. They recommend that early childhood development (ECD) centres offering Grade R register as independent schools (DBE guidelines.pdf?ver=2025-06-12-165524-857)). If your child is in Grade R at a crèche or ECD centre, ask whether it is registered.

How big is the Grade R shortfall?

These are the figures the department gave the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education on 10 November, as reported by Inside Education.

Sources: Inside Education, Parliament.

Seven provinces pay Grade R practitioners stipends, while Mpumalanga and North West appoint educators on salaries. Limpopo is the only province that currently includes Grade R in its teacher post-provisioning model, according to Parliament's statement (Parliament). A draft review of how teaching posts are allocated is expected this month.

Why are school admission policies a problem for 2027?

BELA requires schools to review their admission and language policies. The department said 11,715 admission policy reviews and 11,657 language policy reviews were still outstanding (Parliament).

Committee chairperson Joy Maimela said this was a critical time because parents are applying for admission, and that if policies are not aligned with the law, "parents may be prejudiced by the previous policies" (Parliament). The committee asked for a school-by-school list and reasons for the delays.

Committee member Sedukanelo Louw said about 87% of the backlog sits in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo. He also raised the department's findings of possibly discriminatory admission practices, such as tests, interviews and demands for proof of employment (Inside Education).

Schools must also update their codes of conduct, including rules on hairstyles, religious beliefs and corporal punishment (Parliament).

Which BELA rules are already in force, and which are delayed?

The department said several provisions are already being applied, including a three-day process to trace learners who stop attending school, stronger disciplinary procedures, measures against corporal punishment and closer oversight of school finances (Inside Education).

None of the eight sets of BELA regulations discussed, including those on admissions, school capacity, home education and school governing body elections, has been finalised. The draft admission regulations drew more than 62,000 public submissions (Inside Education). Maimela said the pace was "not satisfactory" (Parliament).

School governing body elections are set for March 2027 and will run under a single national regulation instead of nine provincial ones (Inside Education).

What should parents do now?

• Check your child's birth year. Born in 2021 means Grade R in 2027.
• Apply through your province's normal admission process and keep proof of the application.
• If there is no place, go to your nearest district or provincial education office (DBE guidelines.pdf?ver=2025-06-12-165524-857)).
• If your child attends Grade R at an ECD centre, ask whether it is registered as an independent school.
• If you get a written notice from the department, respond within the time given and explain your reasons (DBE guidelines.pdf?ver=2025-06-12-165524-857)).