GDE placed over 260 000 Grade One and Eight learners for 2023
Late application period is for parents who didn’t apply on time.
The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) said as of November 30, a total of 268 192 Grade One and Grade Eight learners, whose parents applied using the GDE online admissions system, have been successfully placed.
This translates to a total of 135 465 Grade One learners and 132 727 Grade Eight learners who have been placed in preparation for the 2023 academic year.
According to the department, it must be noted that after conducting a thorough analysis of the system, it is unlikely that the remaining number of learners will be placed by end of the business day (November 30), as purported in the previous communication to the public.
As such, the department wishes to apologise to parents for this inconvenience.
Subsequently, only 31 549 (Grade One 8 142 and Grade Eight 23 407) remain to be placed, and the officials across the province continue to work tirelessly to ensure that these learners are adequately placed.
Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane said this is to assure parents that the placement process will continue until all unplaced learners are placed accordingly.
“As mentioned previously, our 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 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.
“From December 1, we will commence with the process of placing all applicants who were unable to provide their proof of address during the application period. During this process, all applicants who submitted incomplete documents (proof of residential address) will be offered a placement at schools with available space.
“Parents will receive transfer placement offers via SMS, and they may also log on to the System to check their placement status.
“We wish to reiterate that the system will be open from December 20 until January 20 next year for late applications to accommodate parents who were unable to apply. Parents who applied during the application period must not re-apply during the late application period,” he said.
“It is important to note that applications made during the late application period will be placed at schools with available spaces. Schools that have reached full capacity will not be available for parents applying during the late application period. Late applicants will be allowed to submit only one application, which will result in immediate placement.”
He said upon submitting a late application, applicants must submit all documents physically at the school(s) they applied to from January 9 next year to finalise their placement.
“We wish to assure parents that when the 2023 academic year commences, we are adamant that every Grade One and Grade Eight 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,” noted Chiloane.
