The 2024 online admissions process for learners entering Grades 1 and 8 is expected to open on Thursday, 15 June 2023 at 8am and will close on Friday, July 14 at midnight. This will give parents and caregivers a month to submit applications for their children.
Last week Gauteng Education MEC, Matome Chiloane, held a media briefing outlining some key details ahead of the upcoming school admissions window, he also revealed that parents would no longer be submitting applications using the two-phased approach method.
MEC Chiloane assured parents that the 2024 online admission process will be seamless and that their children will be admitted without any problems, as the system has now improved.
The system this year will be better. It will operate much better than what it did last year because annually we seek to improve it, and we do a lot of consultations in between.
With new improvements coming with the 2024 online system, Chiloane explained that admissions will follow a single application process which means parents applying for Grades 1 and Grade 8 will all apply at the same time.
In addition, the improved system would also take up to 40,000 applications within a minute. This follows concerns from parents who have said the system was not helpful and sometimes would slow down and not allow them to re-enter the system.
Parents have also been advised not to use internet cafés when applying online for placement for their children.
“We are discouraging the use of internet cafés as they are not reliable. I know there are areas, especially in the city centres, where parents will go and use internet cafés, and it becomes really difficult for them.”
As an alternative, the department has set up numerous walk-in centres at district offices and the schools to ensure system-wide support for parents to make applications.
Which Documents Are Needed?
All parents have been urged to gather and certify all the necessary documentation before applications open.
Some of the documents required for the Grades 1 and 8 applications include:
- Parents/ legal guardian Identity Document
- Learner Birth Certificate
- Proof of home/ work address
- Latest Grade 7 School Report (Grade 8 applicants only)
- Clinic Card/Immunisation Report (Grade 1 applicants only)
These documents can either be uploaded online on the admissions system or submitted physically to the schools selected during the application.
“Parents and guardians must ensure the information on the documents they provide matches the information they enter into the system when applying. All documents must be submitted within seven days of applying,” said Chiloane.
Chiloane also stressed that applications without valid proof of home address will be considered incomplete.
How To Apply For Gauteng Admissions
To submit their online applications, parents and caregivers must log into the department’s admissions website and they should then follow these steps:
- Register Parent/Guardian details
- Register home address details
- Register learner details
- Apply to a maximum of five schools
- Upload documents to the system or submit documents at schools within 7 school days
Once parents start their online application process, they will have to finish their application and go through every step in that sitting.
Every step of the application process will be confirmed through SMS for security and verification processes, and it is therefore important that parents provide a reliable cellphone number.
Parents who will be applying for their Grades 1 and 8 children can expect SMS confirmations with placement offers as of September 2023.
