The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) urges parents to finalise applications for grades one and eight by August 29 and submit documents to avoid missing out.

The GDE has announced that parents and guardians submitted over 600 000 online applications for the 2026 academic year.

Speaking on August 5, Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane confirmed this milestone was achieved in less than two weeks after the admissions system opened on July 24.

“The number of applications is a demonstration of the trust parents place in Gauteng’s education system. We are grateful for their co-operation,” said Chiloane.

As of 14:00 on August 5, the department had recorded a total of 600 936 applications, including:

• 254 251 for Grade One

• 346 685 for Grade Eight

Guidelines and deadlines

Chiloane reminded parents and guardians to complete the full five-step application process at www.gdeadmissions.gov.za before the deadline on August 29. Incomplete applications will not be considered for placement.

Applicants are required to:

• Upload certified copies of supporting documents online or deliver them in person to each selected school within seven days of application

• Apply to a minimum of three and a maximum of five schools to improve chances of placement

• Use a valid cellphone number to receive SMS updates on application and placement status.

The system is designed to ensure document verification at the school level, with automatic prompts sent to schools for updates.

The department will notify parents via SMS once the system has received and verified the documents.

Key placement dates

The GDE confirmed that placement offers for completed applications will begin rolling out on October 16 and encouraged parents to log in regularly to track their application progress.

To assist those without access to digital devices or internet connectivity, walk-in support is available at all Gauteng public schools and 81 decentralised walk-in centres across the province.

GDE contact support:

Call: 0800 000 789

WhatsApp: 060 891 0361

Email: gdeinfo@gauteng.gov.za

Operating hours:

Monday to Thursday: 07:00-17:00

Friday: 07:30-16:30

Saturday: 09:00-13:00