Gauteng education announces 2026 school admission dates: Here is what you need

The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has officially announced the dates for the 2026 online admissions for Grade 1 and Grade 8 pupils.

This was announced on Thursday by Gauteng MEC for Education, Matome Chiloane, during a media briefing at Greenside High School in Johannesburg.

The application window will open on Thursday, 24 July 2025, at 8am and close on Friday, 29 August 2025, at midnight.

According to the department, all applications must be submitted via the GDE Online Admissions System.

“All parents and guardians in Gauteng with children going to Grade 1 or Grade 8 in the 2026 Academic Year must apply online,” the department said.

Here is how to apply

Parents are urged to apply within the designated period to avoid limited school choices. It further highlighted that school capacities fill quickly.

“Parents applying late do not have a wide choice of schools,” the GDE warned,

To ensure a successful application, parents must complete the five-step online process:

1. Register parent/guardian details
2. Register home address
3. Register the student’s details
4. Apply to a maximum of five schools
5. Upload or submit supporting documents within seven school days

Failure to complete all five steps will result in the application being deemed incomplete.

“Applicants who have registered their details without applying to any school will not be considered for placement,” the department cautioned.

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Documents required

According to the department, the certified copies of the following documents are needed:

• Parent ID,
• Child’s birth certificate,
• Proof of home and work addresses,
• Grade 7 report (for Grade 8 applicants), and clinic card (for Grade 1 applicants).

These can be uploaded online or submitted in person at selected schools.

Placement SMSes will be sent to parents from 16 October 2025, and the department has committed to placing every learner.

“The placement period will continue until the very last learner is placed,” it confirmed.

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Free help available

According to the GDE, to support applicants without internet access, the department has set up 81 decentralised walk-in centres across Gauteng. Assistance at these centres is free.

“Parents should not go to businesses that require them to pay a fee under the guise of helping them apply,” the department stressed.

For more details, parents are urged to visit the Gauteng Department of Education’s website or call 0800 000 789.

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