Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane. Picture: Supplied
One hundred and twenty-four Grade 1 and Grade 8 pupils in Gauteng have not been placed for the 2025 academic year – and that number could balloon due to incomplete applications.
During a media briefing on Monday, the Gauteng Department of Education said it received 344 890 online applications for admission into Grade 1 and Grade 8.
Of these, 325 858 students were placed and 19 032 applications were incomplete.
The total capacity of Grade 8 placements in Gauteng was 204 286. The department received 179 105 applications and 168 452 students were placed in schools across the province.
The Grade 1 total capacity was 223 439. 165 785 applications were received and 157 406 of these were complete. All successful applicants were placed in schools.
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Parents who were not able to complete their applications are encouraged to do so from this week.
“The Online Admissions Application System will open for late applications from 11 December 2024 to 30 January 2025 to allow parents to select a school with available space.
“Only one school may be selected for placement. Placement at the selected school is final,” the department added.
It added that outstanding documents may be submitted to selected schools when they reopen in January.
According to the department, the 124 pupils not placed were from Kempton Park, east of Johannesburg.
According to the department, they were rejected because they did not have the required documents, including proof of home address.
“The department can’t offer placement to such applicants as the authenticity of the applications is necessary for placement,” it said.
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Overcrowding is a massive issue in Gauteng schools, with high pupil-to-teacher ratios in many classrooms.
To alleviate these, the department said it will install approximately 625 mobile units to create satellite schools in high-pressure areas with available land space. These include Lawley, Theresa Park, Eastvale, and Naturena.
Satellite schools will form part of the 30 schools that are planned to be built over the next three years.
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