READ: How to apply to your child’s school online

With applications for Grade R and Grade 8 postponed to Monday, the department of education has provided a detailed step-by-step process on how to apply online to your child’s school, reports African Reporter.

Parents are urged to use the online system by logging on to www.gdeadmissions.gov.za.

To make an application, parents should click on “Apply for 2020” and follow the prompts through the three-step process:

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Step 1 – Enter parent/legal guardian details

Step 2 – Enter learner details

Step 3 – Apply to a school

The applicant will be able to view among others, the amendments to the Admissions Regulations, Terms and Conditions, and School Feeder Zones on the online system.

At the same time, applicants can 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.

These walk-in centres will assist parents that are not comfortable with using computers, lack access to internet facilities, or do not have adequate data. Trained officials will assist parents in these centres.

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

Option 1: Home Address: the place of residence closest to the school within the feeder zone. The system will generate waiting list reference WA1.

Option 2: Sibling – applicant has a sibling attending the school. This does not apply if the sibling is currently in Grade 7 or Grade 12 in a secondary school. Reference number WA2 will be generated by the system.

Option 3: 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.

Option 4: 30km radius – the applicant resides within 30km radius of the school. Waiting list reference number WA4 will be generated by the system.

Option 5: Beyond 30km radius – applicant resides over 30km radius of the school. The system will generate reference number WB.

Parents or applicants with children in Grade R in the current school should apply online.

Applications for Grade 8 in schools of focused learning or schools of specialisation should also be made online, as well as applications for boarding schools. However, the applicant/parent must apply directly to the school for boarding or accommodation.

Applications for Grade 8 monastic, or girls only/boys only schools, should also be done online.

The system will show all schools and the applicant/parent will choose the relevant school, resulting in reference number WA6 being generated.

The learner will be subjected to additional pre-qualification tests at the relevant school, for instance attending an audition at an art school or writing a test.

Previous or current schools will not be available as an Application Option. However, all Grade 8 applicants will indicate their current school.

The system will measure the distance from the child’s current primary school to the closest secondary school.

If the parent has applied to the secondary school closest to the current primary school, the system will place the applicant at that secondary school.

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

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 are advised not to use the details of the internet cafés when completing the application. Parents are urged to store the login details and reference numbers in a safe place.

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 a 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 1. Non-South Africans are also required to submit proof of immunisation.

• Current school academic report and transfer if applying for Grade 8.

• Proof of sibling relationship where sibling option is used.

Upon the submission of documents, parents must sign a register to indicate that the documents were submitted, and receive a confirmation of submission of documents receipt.

Any falsified or incorrect information or documentation provided may result in an application being rejected and/or disqualified.

If none of the documents are available, the school will accept the pupil provisionally, however, the parent must submit proof to the school within two weeks of applying for the documentation.

Placement process

The placement of pupils by the education department will take place between August 27 and September 20.

Parents or applicants will receive an SMS notification of the relevant successful and/or 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 an offer of placement within the given period, the offer will be forfeited and given to the next person in the queue.

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