The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has urged parents and guardians to complete all requirements for the 2026 Online Admissions Application after more than 50 000 submissions were left incomplete.

According to GDE spokesperson Steve Mabona, the application period for Grades One to Eight closed on August 29.

He said as of August 28, the GDE’s Online Admissions System recorded more than 800 000 applications. These included over 300 000 for Grade One and almost 500 000 for Grade Eight.

He noted with concern that thousands of parents had either registered without finalising their selections or failed to submit the necessary documents.

The department reminded parents that certified copies of all required documents must be submitted to schools or uploaded online by midnight on September 9.

“Proof of residency is crucial since placement is based on feeder zones. Applications without this document will be regarded as incomplete,” Mabona warned.

He added that incomplete applications will not be considered for placement, and any fraudulent or invalid documents will be disqualified.

Placement of learners will begin on October 16 and continue until all learners have been placed.

Placement is not based on a first-come, first-served basis, but on the following criteria in order of priority:

• Home address within the school’s feeder zone, closest to the school
• Sibling/ previous school
• Work address within the feeder zone
• Home address within a 30km radius
• Home address beyond a 30km radius

Education MEC Matome Chiloane appealed to parents who have not yet completed the five-step application process to act quickly.

“Failure to act before the deadline will result in disappointment and loss of placement priority,” he said.