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Applications for Grade 1 and Grade 8 placements at public schools close on 29 August, with 81 walk-in centres across the province.
Gauteng MEC for Education Matome Chiloane at Ga-Rankuwa Picture: X/@EducationGP1
Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane officially launched the 2026 online school admissions system for Grade 1 and Grade 8 pupils on Thursday morning at the Ga-Rankuwa YMCA in Tshwane.
The launch marks the start of applications for placements at Gauteng public schools for the 2026 academic year.
Speaking at the event, Chiloane said the system had gone live successfully, despite some initial confusion among parents.
“There are some parents who logged in earlier and expected the system to change immediately, but everything came online on time. Now, as we speak, applications are going through,” he said.
More than 213 000 applications by 1pm
By 1pm, the Gauteng Department of Education had processed 213 654 online applications for Grade 1 and Grade 8 learners.
This included 93 042 Grade 1 applications and 120 612 Grade 8 applications. Within the first hour of the system going live, 78 645 applications were recorded — with 32 584 for Grade 1 and 46 061 for Grade 8.
“We are proud of this monumental achievement. This success reflects the improvements made to the system, which operated smoothly overall,” said Chiloane.
However, the MEC noted that more than 40 000 users attempted to log in before the official start time of 8am, causing delays.
“We urge parents to avoid accessing the site before the official opening time to prevent unnecessary glitches,” he said.
Walk-in centres for assistance
The Ga-Rankuwa YMCA is one of 81 decentralised walk-in centres across the province aimed at helping parents without access to smart devices or internet connectivity.
“We’re making sure that every parent, regardless of their location or means, can apply. These walk-in centres are key to ensuring no child is left behind,” said Chiloane.
The online admissions window opened on Thursday and will close at midnight on Friday, 29 August 2025.
Parents and guardians can apply using any internet-enabled device by visiting www.gdeadmissions.gov.za.
ALSO READ: These are the Gauteng school application walk-in centres
No prioritisation of foreign pupils
Responding to concerns about school admissions being skewed in favour of foreign pupils, Chiloane insisted that the system prioritises local children.
“The system is open to all children, but priority is given to South African children,” he explained.
“Foreign nationals must be in the country legally with the correct documentation. If any school is prioritising foreign learners unfairly, bring it to my attention.”
He said the system also takes into account proximity, feeder zones, and previous schools attended.
“For example, an early childhood development centre may feed into a particular primary school, and that is factored into the placement algorithm.”
As the number of applications is expected to rise significantly later in the day, Chiloane urged parents not to panic.
“So far, so good with the system,” he added.
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