GAUTENG.- The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has announced that, as of Wednesday, 30 November 2022, a total of 268 192 Grade 1 and Grade 8 learners, whose parents applied using the GDE Online Admissions System, have been successfully placed.

A statement issued by the GDE said that after conducting a thorough analysis, according to their online admissions system, it is unlikely that the remaining number of learners will be placed by end of business today.

” As purported in our previous communication to the public. As such, we wish to profusely apologise to parents for this inconvenience. Subsequently, only 31 549 (Grade 1: 8 142 and Grade 8: 23 407) remain to be placed, and our officials across the province are working tirelessly to ensure that these learners are adequately placed. This is to assure parents that the placement process will continue until all unplaced learners are placed accordingly.”

The GDE said that its  challenge is capacity at schools in high pressure areas that received large volumes of applications, which exceed the number of learners they can accommodate. We have therefore decided to increase capacity at all identified high pressure schools by providing mobile units that will be delivered before the commencement of the 2023 academic year.

 ” We have also strengthened our transfer placement system, meaning that some learners who could not be placed at preferred schools due to capacity constraints have been, and will continue being, transferred to schools with available space.”

The GDE further said that from today, Thursday, 1 December it will commence with the process of placing all applicants who were unable to provide their proof of address during the application period.

“We wish to assure parents that when the 2023 academic year commences, we are adamant that every Grade 1 and Grade 8 learner in Gauteng will be at a desk with learning material in a class with an educator receiving quality education. As such, we appeal for patience among parents as we embark on the process of finalising the placement of all unplaced learners,” said Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane.

• It is important to note that applications made during the late application period will be placed at schools with available spaces. Upon submitting a late application, applicants must submit all documents physically at the school(s) they applied to from 9 January 2023 to finalise their placement.