Gauteng opens online applications for grade 1 and 8

Admissions will open at 8:00 on Thursday, and close on 25 July, at 24:00, according to MEC Panyaza Lesufi.

Parents of all learners currently in grade R or 7, must apply for admission of their children to grade 1 or 8 by logging on to www.gdeadmissions.gov.za.

He said the application process consisted of three steps.

“Parents and guardians must make sure they complete all details.”

Parents without internet access can use 34 decentralised walk-in centres in various areas to apply.

All district offices and the head office also serve as walk-in centres.

A detailed list of these walk-in centres with addresses and contact numbers was available on the department’s website.

This year, the department is introducing online uploading of documents through its online application system.

Parents have a choice to either upload the documents to one school, which means that other schools will manage to access those documents in the system.

Alternatively, they can submit hard copies of documents to all schools applied to.

Parents can upload documents using any computer device, including smartphones.

The following documents must be submitted within seven days of applying:

• Parents’ identity documents or passports
• Child’s birth certificate
• Child’s clinic card or proof of immunisation
• Proof of residence

Lesufi asked that parents stay away from schools at this time.

“Schools cannot help walk-in applicants due to the high risk of infection and spread of the coronavirus,” he said.

He said only a few schools were specified as walk-in centres as per the list.

“All schools will, as a safety precaution, provide for parents to drop documents off at an identified area at the school gate, away from classrooms and offices.”

Parents were reminded of new admissions criteria introduced in 2018.

According to the new criteria, priority is given to applicants who live in the school’s “feeder zone”, closest to it.

“Parents are urged to use the home option to apply to a school that covers their home address.”

He said the admissions criteria were as follows:

• Option 1: Home – the parent’s home address is close to the school
• Option 2: Sibling – the learner has a sibling already at the school applied to
• Option 3: Work – the parent’s work address is in the school’s feeder zone
• Option 4: Home address within 30km – the parent’s home address is not in the feeder zone, but within 30km of the school
• Option 5: Home address is beyond 30km from the school – the parent’s home address is not in the school feeder zone, but within 30km of the school

The “first come, first served” principle did not apply and there was no need for parents to apply first thing on Thursday morning.

Instead, parents should refrain from rushing to schools or walk-in centres as soon as the system opens.

He said the department was pleased with the online application system’s success.

“The process has provided several cost-effective solutions. Automating services freed up manpower from other activities and enabled better utilisation of human resources.”

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