GDE kicks off admissions with 213,000 Grade 1 & 8 applications

The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) is pleased to announce that more than 213 000 Grade 1 and Grade 8 online applications were successfully processed on the first day of the official reopening of the 2026 online applications.

The department officially opened the online application system for Grade 1 and Grade 8 admissions for the 2026 academic year on Thursday, July 24.

According to the GDE, the application period runs until midnight on Friday, August 29.

MEC Matome Chiloane led the official switch-on at the YMCA in Ga-Rankuwa, where he assisted parents and guardians in navigating the online application process for the 2026 academic year.

Chiloane said parents are encouraged to apply early to increase their chances of securing a place for their child at their preferred school.

He said parents requiring help can visit their nearest district office or one of the 81 decentralised walk-in centres across Gauteng.

“The GDE Call Centre is also available at 0800 000 789, or parents can send a message on WhatsApp to 060 891 0361.”

He said, “We are proud of this monumental achievement, processing such a high number of applications on the first day.

“This success reflects the improvements made to the system, which operated smoothly overall, despite a brief delay experienced by users who tried accessing the site before it officially opened.

“We encourage parents not to panic. The system will remain open until 29 August, giving ample time to apply.”

Chiloane urged parents to use the system responsibly and to make informed choices when applying.

He advised parents to take advantage of the system that allows them to identify schools within the feeder zones covering their home address.

“Selecting schools within the correct feeder zones improves the chances of securing placement closer to home and helps reduce daily travel distances for learners,” he explained.

He said to improve the likelihood of placement, parents are required to apply to at least three schools and may apply to a maximum of five.

Chiloane said all necessary documents must be submitted or uploaded within seven days of the application.

“These documents must be certified and valid. The department has issued a strong warning against submitting fraudulent documents, including false proof of address. Any attempt to do so will result in the learner not being placed.”

Due to the high number of fraudulent address documents submitted in previous years, some schools have implemented stricter verification measures, including conducting home visits to confirm the accuracy of provided addresses.

Chiloane said the GDE supports these efforts to ensure the integrity and fairness of the admissions process.

He said the 2026 online Admissions application window will remain open until end of August.

“Parents and guardians can apply by visiting www.gdeadmissions.gov.za. Required documents must be uploaded to the system or submitted directly to the schools applied to, within seven school days of applying.

“Within the first hour alone, the system had recorded a total of 78 645 Grade 1 and Grade 8 applications.

“This translates to 32 584 Grade 1 applications and 46 061 Grade 8 applications recorded within the first hour.”

He said that significantly, over 40 000 users were already attempting to access the system even before the official opening time of 08:00, with some starting as early as 05:00.

“This early surge caused temporary delays for some users, who had to refresh the page before gaining access once the system went live.”

He urged parents and guardians to not try to log in before the official start time, to avoid access issues.

Do you have more information about the story?

Please send us an email to bennittb@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.

For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East

For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok.