The Eastern Cape Department of Education says its all systems go for the 2018 academic school year.
Spokesperson, Mali Mtima, said the department has ensured that infrastructure has been repaired at schools, including the renovation of classrooms.
He said the department made provision for educators at all schools, adding that textbooks and stationery were delivered to schools last year.
"Those schools that had been blown away by tornados are fixed, where there is a shortage of classrooms, it has been provided and also where there is a shortage of chairs and desks, we have provided them. So, we are ready for the day," Mtima said.
The Western Cape Education Department said it's also ready for the start of the school year despite the challenges it's facing.
Spokesperson, Jessica Shelver, said the province's department is under tremendous pressure to accommodate all learners in the province.
Shelver said a total of 7 668 learners still need to be placed in schools in the Western Cape.
She said more than 3 000 grade one learners still need to be accommodated, while 4 400 learners still have not been placed in grade eight classes.
She urged parents who have not yet registered their children to report to the nearest district office.
Shelver said more than 130 000 learners, mostly from the Eastern Cape have moved to schools in the Western Cape in the past five years.
"We are under tremendous pressure to accommodate all learners in the province. The province has attracted more than 130 000 learners from other provinces over the past five years, mainly from the Eastern Cape. The province has also not received additional funding from the National Treasury to cover this growth," she said.
Meanwhile, the South African Human Rights Commission said as schools around the country prepare to open on Wednesday, 17 January it wished to remind all schools that the right to a basic education, as contained in section 29 of the Constitution, is guaranteed to all persons, regardless of nationality, status, or documentation.
The Commission said despite these provisions, it, together with a number of other civil society organisations, have frequently had to intervene in the past, in instances where learners were either refused admission or expelled from school as a result of the lack of documentation.
It said this includes an incident in January last year when a school issued letters containing misinformation to parents of learners claiming that the police would arrest undocumented learners found at the school.
SAHRC urged parents or guardians of learners who have been denied admission due to lack of documentation, to immediately approach the Provincial Education Department or the commision for assistance.
