Online registration to open from May 13

The Gauteng public ordinary schools online application for Grades One and Eight for the 2020 academic year goes live on May 13 at 8am and closes on July 15 at midnight.

Placement of learners by the department will take place from August 27 to September 20.

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Former Gauteng MEC for Education Panyaza Lesufi said the process will be undertaken under new admission regulations that seek to ensure equitable access to all learners regardless of class, race or language.

The regulations also define new feeder zones that aim to overcome the apartheid geography.

“Parents seek the best school for their children and given our past, the perception is that former model C schools are synonymous with quality and township/rural schools are of poor quality.

“The Gauteng Department of Education is ranking schools to provide parents objective information regarding the performance of the school,” said Lesufi.

He urged parents to give themselves time to evaluate the schools closest to where they live to ascertain the performance of the institution.

Parents can use the online system and log on www.gdeadmissions.gov.za

To apply, parents should click on “Apply for 2020” and follow the prompts through the three-step process:

• Step 1 – Enter Parent/Legal Guardian Details
• Step 2 – Enter Learner Details
• Step 3 – Apply to a School

The applicant will be able to view, among others, the amendments to the admissions regulations, terms and conditions and school feeder zones on the online system.

At the same time, applicants can choose to listen to and view a step-by-step video tutorial and/or read a step-by-step user guide.

Parents can also visit the nearest public school, district admissions centre, a community library or community centre for assistance to apply online.

These walk-in centres will assist parents who are not comfortable with using computers, lack access to internet facilities or do not have adequate data.

Trained officials will assist parents at the centres.

“Applications are opened early to provide adequate time for planning of allocation of resources, such as educators, classrooms, learning and teaching study materials.

The department is pleased to announce the capacity of the admissions online application system has been increased to accommodate 50 000 simultaneous users.

We urge parents to apply online and on time.

Applying on time makes it possible to obtain a space in a public school,” said Lesufi.

When applying online, parents have a choice to submit a maximum of five applications using the following options:

• Option 1: Home Address: the place of residence closest to the school within the feeder zone. The system will generate waiting list reference WA1.
• Option 2: Sibling – Applicant has a sibling attending the school. This does not apply if the sibling is currently in Grade Seven or Grade 12. The system will generate waiting list reference WA2.
• Option 3: Work Address – The place of employment of at least one of the parents within the feeder zone of the school.The system will generate waiting list reference WA3.
• Option 4: 30km radius – The applicant resides within a 30km radius of the school. The system will generate waiting list reference WA4.
• Option 5: Beyond 30km radius – The applicant resides outside a 30km radius of the school. The system will generate waiting list reference WB.

Parents or applicants with children in Grade R in the current school should also apply online.

Applications for Grade Eight in Schools of Focused Learning or Schools of Specialisation should also be made online.

The system will show all schools and parents will choose the relevant school and the system will generate waiting list reference WA6.

The learner will, however, be subjected to additional pre-qualification test at the relevant school, for instance, attend an audition at an arts school or write a test.

Applications for boarding schools should also be made online. However, parent must apply directly to the school for boarding or accommodation.

Applications for Grade Eight at monastic or girls/boys only schools should also be done online.

Previous/current school will not be available as an application option. However, all Grade Eight applicants will indicate their current school.

The system will measure the distance from the child’s current primary school to the closest secondary school.

If the parent has applied to the secondary school closest to the current primary school, the system will place the applicant at that secondary school.

Once the application is complete online, the applicant or parent will receive an SMS notification with the relevant reference number.

For this reason, applicants and parents are urged to use their own valid cellphone number or email address.

All communication with the parent regarding username, password, waiting list reference number will be conducted through the supplied cellphone number or email address. Applicants and parents should submit the following documents to the school within seven working days:

• A certified copy of the identity document of the parent/legal guardian or a sworn affidavit in case parent/legal guardian does not have an ID. Non-South African citizens should submit a certified copy of their passport, valid visa or temporary/permanent residence permit/asylum seeker or refugee permit.

• Proof of home address.

• Certified copy of child’s birth certificate. Unabridged birth certificates are not required. Non-South African citizens should submit a study permit/visa or child’s asylum/refugee permit.

• Clinic immunisation card if applying for Grade One. Non-South Africans are also required to submit proof of immunisation.

• Current school academic report and transfer if applying for Grade Eight.

• Proof of sibling relationship where sibling option (option two) is used.

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