Delft mom's frustration over waiting list for special needs school for her son
A mother in Delft is advocating for her 12-year-old son, who is on a waiting list for a special needs school.
Image: File
The mother of a 12-year-old boy has expressed frustration while he has been placed on a waiting list for a Special Needs School (LSEN), citing that while being at a mainstream school in Delft, he continues to battle academically and socially.
The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) revealed it had a waiting list and applications are reviewed monthly.
Millicent Merton of the WCED explained the process of placement: "The learner enrolments in Special Needs schools are still to be determined.
"To expand access and reduce barriers to placement, the WCED is systematically transforming public ordinary schools into inclusive schools, enabling learners to receive support closer to where they live."
She said in 2025, the WCED accommodated approximately 17 300 learners with special educational needs in 1 326 public ordinary schools across the province through various mainstream and inclusive support structures.
In 2022, the boy was seen by the school psychologist and last year a doctor’s recommendation strongly suggested that he be placed at a special needs school.
The mother told Cape Argus she had been advocating for years for her son and emailing the WCED with letters and last year an application was finally submitted for 2026's intake.
According to the WCED there are 75 Special Schools with 21 583 learners in the Western Cape.
The Cape Argus shared a copy of his doctor’s report in which it states that he suffers from major depressive disorder, special anxiety disorder, Autism spectrum disorder, learning disorders.
“The patient has multiple comorbid mental health challenges that exacerbate each other and will improve with the appropriate school placement,” the medical report read.
The mother said her son often sits inside the classroom wearing headphones to block out the “noise” and has a reader and scribe.
"Why is it a struggle to get him into a school for him? They give him the help but he is still in a class with 40 plus children,” she said.
“He has to sit with headphones, what does a normal child do? They bully him because he does things differently.
“He does not play with other children, he plays on his own and he makes a sound and plays with his hands and it is sad for me to think what my son is going through in the mainstream school.
“Even doctors said he needs to be in a special needs school.
“He was diagnosed in 2023 with autism and I began the process of applying for a special school before that.
“He was in Grade one when they noticed that something was not right but nothing happened.
“In 2022 we went to hospital because the anxiety started getting worse.
“After that the school psychologist assessed him.
“Academically, he cannot read or write properly, that is why he has a reader and scribe.
“I have kept him at home since school started due to his anxiety and I just want what is best for him.”
Millicent Merton, Communication for the WCED said the child is currently on a waiting list and support will continue to be given to him: "We wish to clarify that no decision was made by the WCED indicating that the learner is not a suitable candidate for a Special School. The learner has been placed on the Special School waiting list. The learner’s needs will be supported at his current school while he is on the waiting list for placement at a Special School,” Merton.
“Please be assured that the WCED reviews Special School placement lists monthly. This ongoing monitoring ensures that, as soon as space becomes available and if the learner’s level of need still requires specialised placement, the learner can be placed without unnecessary delay."
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