There are an estimated 400 000-plus pupils requiring placement within four weeks before the end of the 2026 school year.
Gauteng school admissions for 2027 open on 1 August, with education groups warning that delayed applications and overcrowding could trigger another placement crisis. Picture: iStock
Many parents are worried about the late announcement of school applications by the Gauteng department of education and fear another year of delays and unplaced pupils.
On Monday, Gauteng education MEC Lebogang Maile announced applications for the 2027 academic year will open at 8am on 1 August and close at midnight on 4 September.
Every applicant must complete the department’s compulsory five-step process by registering the parent or legal guardian, registering the pupil’s residential address, capturing the pupil’s personal details, applying to a minimum of three and a maximum of five public schools and uploading or submitting all required supporting documents in seven school days after completing the online application.
Required documentation includes identity documents of the parents and the pupil’s birth certificate, proof of physical address, proof of parents’ work address, vaccination card (only for the registration of Grade 1 pupils), and the most recent Grade 7 report card (only for the registration of prospective Grade 8 pupils).
Growing learner numbers raise concerns
Suid-Afrikaanse Onderwysunie (Saqu) spokesperson Dems Nel said the union anticipates a record number of pupils will register to attend Grades 1 and 6 in 2027.
“The department of education must urgently take steps to upgrade the infrastructure of the existing, already overburdened schools and build new schools to accommodate the growing number of pupils,” he said.
Nel added because Grade R was now compulsory, the department will possibly face additional challenges to accommodate the Grade Rs in terms of the amended Schools Act.
“For Saqu, increased pupil numbers are seen in a positive light as this will lead to additional teacher posts, which will in turn help relieve the unemployment pandemic in SA,” he said.
AfriForum head of education projects Carien Bloem said the delayed opening again points to a placement disaster.
Parents urged to prepare early
Bloem has urged parents wishing to enrol their children in Gauteng schools for Grade 1 or 8 for 2027 to prepare for the online registration process and warned, as in previous years, a placement disaster may await the Grade 1s and Grade 8s for the next academic year.
“The online registration platform will again open late this year, and with an estimated 400 000-plus pupils requiring placement within four weeks before the end of the 2026 school year – combined with the system’s poor track record – parents need to prepare for a challenging registration process,” she said.
DA’s Gauteng spokesperson on education Sergio Isa Dos Santos said the party would monitor the admissions process and hold the department accountable for ensuring every pupil is placed before the 2027 school year begins.
