2020 school admissions to open in May

On April 28 MEC for Education Panyaza Lesufi announced that the 2020 online school admissions for Grade One and Grade Eight, for Gauteng public ordinary schools, will open on May 13 at 8am and close on July 15 at midnight.

The application process for 2020 academic year is as follows:

Parents are urged to use the online system and log on www.gdeadmissions.gov.za.

To make an application, click on apply for 2020 and follow the prompts through the three-step process.

Step One – Enter parent/legal guardian details

Step Two – Enter learner details

Step Three – Apply to a school.

The applicant will be able to view the amendments to the admissions regulations, terms and conditions and school feeder zones on the online system.

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Applicants can also choose to listen to and view a step by step video tutorial and/or read a step by step user guide.

Parents can also visit the nearest public school, district admissions centre, a community library or community centre for assistance to apply online.

Lesufi urged parents and those applying on behalf of learners to consider all their options when requesting admission.

“Parents seek the best school for their children and given our past the perception is that former Model C schools are synonymous with quality and township and rural schools are of poor quality,” said Lesufi.

“While this is understandable, the investment that the government has made over the past 25 years has resulted in improved quality in schools in the townships.

“Therefore, I urge parents to give themselves time to evaluate the schools closest to where they live to ascertain the performance of the institution.”

When applying online, parents have a choice to submit a maximum of five applications using the following options:

• Home address – the place of residence closest to the school within the feeder zone. The system will generate waiting list reference WA1.

• Sibling – applicant has a sibling attending the school. This does not apply if the sibling is currently in Grade Seven in a primary school or Grade 12 in a secondary school. Reference number WA2 will be generated by the system.

• Work address – the place of employment of at least one of the parents within the feeder zone of the school. A waiting list reference WA3 will be generated by the system.

• 30km radius – the applicant resides within 30 km radius of the school. Waiting list reference number WA4 will be generated by the system.

• Beyond 30 km radius – applicant resides over 30 km radius of the school. The system will generate reference number WB.

Parents and applicants are also urged to apply:

• Grade R learners currently in school.

• Schools of focused learning or schools of specialisation for Grade Eight .

• Boarding schools (boarding/accommodation to be applied for directly to the school of choice).

• Grade Eight monastic or girls only and boys only schools.

“Once the application is complete online, the applicant or parent will receive an SMS notification with relevant reference number.

“For this reason, applicants and parents are urged to use their own valid cellphone number or email address.

“All communication with the parent regarding username, password and waiting list reference number, will be conducted through the supplied cellphone number or email address.”

Applicants and parents should submit the following documents to the school within seven working days:

• Certified copy of ID of the parent/legal guardian or a sworn affidavit in case parent/legal guardian does not have an ID.

• Non-South African citizens should submit certified copy of passport, valid visa or temporary/permanent residence permit/asylum seeker or refugee permit.

• Proof of home address.

• Certified copy of child’s birth certificate. Unabridged birth certificates are not required.

• Non-South African citizens should submit a study permit/visa or child’s asylum/refugee permit.

• Clinic immunisation card if applying for Grade One. Non-South Africans are also required to submit proof of immunisation.

• Current school academic report and transfer if applying for Grade Eight.

• Proof of sibling relationship where sibling option is used.

“In case none of the documents are available the school will accept the learner provisionally.

“However, the parent must submit proof to the school within two weeks that they have applied for the documentation.

“A parent or applicant wishing to apply for a learner with special needs should apply at the nearest education district office.

“Children with special needs require assessment by professionals to determine the nature of the need and appropriate school.”

Further to this Lesufi added learner placements would occur between August 27 and September 20.

“Parents and applicants will receive an SMS notification of successful and unsuccessful application to the school.

“They have an obligation to accept or reject the placement offer within seven days.

“If a parent fails to accept or reject offer of placement within the given period, such a parent will forfeit the offer and it will be given to the next person in the queue.

“Spaces in schools are not unlimited and are subject to how many learners currently in the school progress to the next grade.

“As such, placement will be conducted on a first-come-first serve basis.

“Parents should understand that living closer to the school does not entitle a person to automatic admission.

“Placement will depend on the time the application was made and availability of space in the school.

“That is why we urge parents to apply on time to avoid frustration.

“The system has improved efficiency, fairness and transparency, eliminated several unacceptable practices and over 90 per cent of applicants are placed on time demonstrating the capacity to handle large volumes of applications.

For queries, parents are advised to contact the department at the following numbers or email address:

Call Centre on 011 355 0000

Toll free number 0800 000 789

Email: Gdeinfo@gauteng.gov.za

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