The Gauteng Department of Education has said it’s working around the clock to make sure that more than 80 000 pupils who are yet to be placed in grade one and eight, are at a school come January 2017.
The department recently closed online applications for the year 2017 on the 30th November, effectively meaning that any parent who still hasn’t applied for either of the grades, will not be able to send their child to a public school in Gauteng next year.
A total of 82 279 pupils are yet to be placed.
Applications in numbers
In total 310 404 applications were received through the online application, of which 176 348 are for Grade one and 136 056 are for Grade eight.
Early applications received by the 1st June 2016 were 233 408 comprising 130 911 for Grade one and 102 497 for Grade eight.
A total of 78 996 applications were received after 1st June 2016. Of these, 45 437 applications were received for Grade one and 33 559 for Grade eight.
As of 5th December, 229 125 students were placed Gauteng schools (both early and late applications), of which 131 304 are Grade one and 97 821 are Grade eight.
A total of 8 846 parents have not yet submitted the requisite documents to schools where they have applied. In addition, 10 403 of parents have not yet confirmed offers of placement, should these parents not do so on time, they risk forfeiting their places to others waiting for offers.
Parents who have applied and have not yet received offers of placement are urged to visit the Admissions website or visit their District Offices to inquire about the status of their applications.
A number of schools in the following areas have reached their capacity and will not be able to accept any more new pupils:
- Ekurhuleni North: Boksburg, Kempton Park, Tembisa and Benoni
- Ekurhuleni South: Palm Ridge, Eden Park, Brackenhurst, Brackendowns, Alberton, Germiston and Boksburg
- Gauteng North: Cullinan and Klipdrift
- Gauteng West: Krugersdorp
- Johannesburg Central: Southern Corridor and Freedom Park
- Johannesburg East: Bryanston, Midrand, Halfway House
- Johannesburg South: Glenanda, Lenasia and Mulbarton
- Johannesburg West: Hendrik Potgieter Belt, Tshepisong, Braamfischerville, Florida, Dobsonville
- Tshwane South: Pretoria East
- Tshwane West: Soshanguve South, Pretoria North and Winterveldt East
“The Department plans to continue with online applications in 2017 for applications for grade one and eight with respect to the 2018 academic year. Important lessons were recorded with the 2016 experience and the system will be refined to incorporate these lessons,” MEC for Education, Panyaza Lesufi said.
