Online applications for grades 1 and 8 now open: Here are the dos and don’t to keep in mind

Gauteng Education Member of the Executive Council (MEC) Matome Chiloane has warned parents against uploading fraudulent documents when sending their applications for school placements.

Chiloane announced that online applications for school admissions for grades 1 and 8 will open on Thursday at 8 am. Applications will close on 12 August at midnight.

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“The reason why we started late is that there have been a number of activities taking place – the SGB (School Governing Body) elections, national general elections, and we had to set up a government after elections. We’re not late in terms of placement, we just started late,” said Chiloane.

“All parents must apply online for grades 1 and 8. These applications, don’t say you’ve done it last year. Every year, you must start afresh,” added Chiloane.

System ‘running smoothly’

Chiloane said the system had improved since its launch in 2015, with the help of all stakeholders and suggestions from parents.

Among those is communication from the department, which now sends regular updates on the number the parents provide.

“I’m confident to say the system is working very well. This academic year alone, we have placed over 400,000 pupils. It is not true that some pupils were not placed. All pupils who had completed applications for this academic year were placed.

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“The key issue that parents have been raising is timeous communication and updates. We have improved on that.

“It’s a simple process and convenient for parents to apply for grades 1 and 8 at home or anywhere else. It eliminates the historical challenges that we always had of long queues at schools,” he said.

“By now parents would have gone to the schools to apply in person, sleeping at the school gates. But with this process, we have eliminated all of that.”

Application dos and don’ts

Chiloane urged parents to follow all the instructions correctly to avoid placing their child at risk of not getting placed in a school.

This includes providing the correct contact details.

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“Don’t lose your number, because that’s how we will continuously update you,” warned Chiloane.

He further advised parents against only choosing one school in their application.

“When you choose a school in your application, don’t say to us ‘I choose this one first because I want it, I just included the other ones because they’re around’,” he said.

“We move from a point that any of the five is your preferred school. Don’t put one school because if your child doesn’t get placed in that school, we will have a problem. You’re putting your child at a disadvantage. Choose five schools, minimum of three.”

The system will give parents seven days to upload the required documents from the day they create their profile.

“If the system gives you a spot within these seven days and you don’t upload the documents, it automatically pushes you down and prioritises one who has uploaded the documents,” said Chiloane.

While this does not mean parents will have to start their applications afresh, it does, however, push them down on a list of their preferred schools.

The system can pick up on inconsistencies

Chiloane further warned against uploading fraudulent documents with the application, as the system can pick it up.

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“If you upload fraudulent documents, we will not be able to place your child. The system can pick up on inconsistencies,” he warned.

The department has 80 walk-in centres that parents can use to send their applications. This will help avoid dodgy internet cafes that put people at risk of data theft.

Required documents

• Parent ID/Passport/ Refugee permit/ Asylum seeker permit/Permanent residence permit/Study permit
• Child’s SA birth certificate
• Proof of home address (municipal account not older than three months in the name of the parent/ legal lease agreement showing that the application will be living at that address in the year of admission, signed by the landlord and tenant
• Proof of work address
• Latest school report
• Clinic/vaccination/immunisation card

All documents must be certified.

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