The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has successfully placed close to 200,000 learners in schools across the province during the past four weeks. The online admissions process for Grade 1 and 8 learners began on September 16, 2024, and will continue until all students are assigned schools for the 2025 academic year.
During a briefing, the Gauteng Education Department announced:
We are pleased to announce that, to date, a total of 199 492 applicants have been placed four weeks after the commencement of the placement period on 16 September.
Grade 1 and 8 Admissions Update
- Grade 1: Of the 165,785 applicants, 103,446 (65.72%) have been placed in schools. However, 53,960 (34.28%) remain unplaced.
- Grade 8: Out of 179,105 applicants, 96,046 (57.01%) have secured placements, while 72,406 (42.99%) are still awaiting schools.
A total of 344,890 applications were received for both grades. 199,492 (61.22%) have been placed, leaving 126,366 (38.78%) unplaced.
From December 2024, after all, an applicant with complete applications are place, the applicants with incomplete applications will be province an opportunity to select a school with available space for placement.
Due to high demand, more than 100 schools in Gauteng have reached their maximum capacity.
The GDE is working diligently to ensure that all learners are placed before the end of the 2024 academic year. Unplaced students will be transferred to the nearest school with available space.
All parents/guardians must note that applicants who have not accepted placement offers after 7 days of receiving an offer will be auto-placed at the school that made the offer/or the school where the offer is provisionally accepted.
"Placement offers are reserved only until all the other schools apply to reach full capacity. Once other schools that the parent applied to reach full capacity, all applicants with placement offers are placed at the school that made the placement offer."
Prior to the commencement of the placement period, the Department conducted a capacity audit at all schools to ensure that available capacity at all schools are used to optimally accommodate applicants.
Parents are encouraged to accept placement offers promptly.
"As at 11 October 2024, a total of 72 Primary schools have reached full capacity after placing a total of 10 591 Grade 1 learners; And 31 secondary schools reached full capacity after placing a total of 12 923 Grade 8 Learners This means 103 schools have no more space to accommodate any further applicants."
The online admissions system will reopen on 11 December 2024, for incomplete and late applications.
When the transfer offer is accepted, the learner is placed at the school. The placement is final. All objections are investigated on merit and an outcome is provided to the parent within 14 days of receiving the objection.
"Appeals are processed and responded to within 14-21 days of receipt Parents/guardians need to note that the Appeal outcome is final and no alternative placement will be offered."
Parents can submit objections or appeals within 7 days if they disagree with a placement decision.
"Late applicants will receive placement only at schools with available space Parents who select schools during the Incomplete / Late Application window period cannot object or decline the placement."
