Parents in the Merafong area can now get help with placing their children in Grade 1 or Grade 8 for the 2026 academic year through several walk-in registration centres. This follows the official opening of the Gauteng Department of Education’s (GDE) online admissions system yesterday, Thursday, July 24.

According to the GDE, decentralized walk-in centres in the Carletonville area include:

• Hoërskool Carletonville

• Wonderfontein High School

• Westfields Primary School

In the Fochville area, help is available at:

• Fochville Secondary School, next to Kgotsoville in Kokosi.

These centres will assist parents who may not have internet access or need support navigating the online system.

Over 213,000 applications processed on day one

Gauteng MEC for Education, Matome Chiloane, announced that more than 213,000 Grade 1 and Grade 8 applications were successfully captured by 13:00 on launch day. In the first hour alone, the system recorded:

• 32,584 Grade 1 applications

• 46,061 Grade 8 applications

According to GDE spokesperson Steve Mabona, more than 40,000 users tried to access the system before the 08:00 launch time, with some starting as early as 05:00. This surge led to brief technical delays, with Mabona urging users to only log in after the official start time in future.

Key info for parents:

• Application period: July 24 – August 29 2025

• Website: www.gdeadmissions.gov.za

• Document submission: Within 7 school days of applying (upload online or hand in at schools)

Additional support:

• GDE Call Centre: 0800 000 789

• GDE WhatsApp Line: 060 891 0361

• District Offices and 81 decentralised walk-in centres across Gauteng are also available for assistance.

Parents and guardians are encouraged not to delay and to ensure that all required documents are submitted promptly.