With only four days to the deadline for some of the poorest schools to apply for exemption from school fees, the Western Cape education department says so far they have had a "positive" response.

The department has offered 424 of the poorest primary schools in the province the chance to scrap school fees, benefiting about 146 000 pupils.

They have until Friday to apply.

Meanwhile, Education MEC Cameron Dugmore's spokesman, Gert Witbooi, says they have been to schools to explain what they must do to become "no fee" schools.

Witbooi could not say how many had applied for the exemption.

"A two-person team has been visiting all areas of the Western Cape over the past three weeks to discuss the issue with schools that are eligible for no-fee status.

"The process must include a meeting with the parent body of a school to approve this status. We expect to complete the final list of no-fee schools in the second week of May."

Witbooi said the team visited the West Coast/Winelands, Breede River/Overberg and the South Cape/Karoo districts.

The department hopes to extend the exemption to more schools next year, to include both primary and high schools.