At the start of every school year, parents – and by extension the Western Cape Department of Education – are under immense pressure to place children in an appropriate school. As sought-after public schools begin to fill up quickly, ensuring children have placement in the school they’ve applied to is increasingly difficult, usually resulting in many children remaining without placement in a public school weeks after the school year has started. Enter CEMIS. CEMIS is meant to help parents and the WCED track the enrolment of each student in the database, making enrolment more efficient and timely than before. You’ll learn more about what CEMIS is and where to find your CEMIS number below.
What is Cemis Number?
CEMIS is an acronym for Centralized Education Management Information System. The system has been introduced as a school management and administration system but acts more as a registration and tracking platform for learners.
Therefore, a CEMIS number is a number given to a student registered within the WCED CEMIS system, which enables parents or guardians to track the placement of the learners in their care and allows the WCED to increase the placement of learners in the system.
The CEMIS number is an identifying number – like a reference number – that is unique to the learner and makes tracking the learner easier than using other identifying information like a name and surname. This number also makes it easier for the WCED to track the transfer of students, examination passes, and so on. Since the number assigned to a learner doesn’t change throughout their schooling career, it’s also easier for the WCED to track dropout rates in the province.
Essentially, the CEMIS is like an identity number for learners within the WCED system.
Furthermore, it also provides the benefit of enabling parents and guardians to track admissions and acceptance at schools.
How to Find Cemis Number
Your child will only have a CEMIS number if they have attended a WCED school before. In which case, you will find their CEMIS number at the bottom of their school reports. You can check any school report of your child as the number will not have changed.
If your child hasn’t attended a WCED school before or is entering Grade R or 1, you will receive a CEMIS number by registering on the WCED platform. In the meantime, you can use the child’s ID number instead of their CEMIS number whenever prompted.
If you want your child – who has not attended a WCED school before to receive a CEMIS number, you will need to complete a CEMIS form; you can find more details on how to complete that process below.
How Cemis Works
What you may think is CEMIS is, in fact, the WCED’s online portal for parents and guardians of learners. As a parent or guardian, you should use this portal to complete your child’s admission online to public schools within the Western Cape.
If you have registered as a guardian or parent on the WCED’s portal before, you can use your login credentials to track your child’s enrollment or start a new enrollment process. However, if you have never registered before, you can create an account and register your child on the platform.
Once you have an account, you can submit admissions to the public schools of your choice and rank each of these schools from your most preferred school to your least preferred school.
You can then check if the school has received your admission and whether your child has been accepted. If your child has been accepted to a school, you have seven days to confirm the placement at that school.
Also Read: How to register to the South African Council for Educators (SACE online)
What is Cemis Form
When using the WCED admissions portal, you will need to have a CEMIS number to track your child’s admission to public schools. Because of the pandemic and the limitations on schools, most schools will only accept applications through the WCED online system. Therefore, to continue with admission for your child, you will need to create an account on the WCED portal if you haven’t created one before. Complete the steps below to begin this process.
Step 1: Visit The WCED Online Portal
Start the process by visiting the WCED and clicking on “Track | Applications” or clicking here.
Step 2: Register As A Parent or Guardian
You can log in using the login credentials you’ve created when registering.
If you don’t have a WCED parent or guardian account, you will be required to create one to continue. So, click on “Parent Register.” A screen where you must accept terms and conditions will load. Read this carefully before continuing. Once you accept these terms, you must fill in your details as the primary caregiver, parent, or guardian.
Insert your ID or passport number, phone number, and email address. You will receive an OTP to verify your registration, enter the OTP and proceed.
You will then be asked to create a password and to answer three security questions. These questions secure your account, allowing you to access your account in future.
Once you’ve answered those questions, you will have created an account and will then be sent an email confirming your registration.
Step 3: Login To The WCED Online Admission and Complete The Process
Registering on the system is only the first step. To complete the admission process for your child, you will need to:
- Complete your details and the personal details of a second parent or guardian.
- Register for a CEMIS number for a learner if they haven’t attended a WCED school before.
- Complete the prompts given to you by the system.
Step 4: Upload Necessary Documentation
Now, you will need to upload a copy of the child’s birth certificate or a study permit if they’re a foreign learner, proof of residence, and proof of immunisation for children in primary school. In addition, you will need to upload their last report card or results if they’ve attended school before.
If you have trouble registering or need help on the online portal consider calling the WCED on 021 467 2000 or emailing Media1.Media1@westerncape.gov.za for any help and assistance.
