Parents and guardians of learners going to Grade 1 and Grade 8 next year are reminded to apply for the 2024 academic year.
This comes after the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) released its latest figures confirming that a total of 300 907 online admission applications had been successfully processed so far since the beginning of the application period which opened on June 15.
• Also read: Online applications for 2024 Grade 1s and 8s open soon
GDE spokesperson Steve Mabona urged parents to enter their correct and reliable cellphone numbers to receive updates when applying.
“As of noon on June 19 this year, the GDE online admissions system recorded a total of 131 294 applications made for Grade 1 and 169 613 applications made for Grade 8. This brings the total of applications made to 300 907. The 2024 application period for Grades 1 and 8 will close at midnight on July 14.
To apply, parents and guardians must visit the website www.gdeadmissions.gov.za and register to create unique login credentials then proceed with the application process.
“Applicants must provide one reliable and correct cellphone number when registering to receive important SMS notifications and updates regarding their application. It is important to note that each step of the application process will be confirmed via SMS for security and verification purposes. As such, parents must always make sure they enter the correct cellphone number when registering to apply,” said Mabona.
He added that those who want to access the system after completing their application and might have forgotten their passwords must click on the ‘Forgot Password’ option on the GDE Online Admissions login page, and follow the prompts and One-Time Pin sent to their cellphone number to regain access to their profile.
Applicants are also reminded that the following documents are required when applying for Grade 1 and Grade 8:
• Parent and child ID or Passport
• Refugee permit
• Asylum seeker permit
• Permanent residence permit
• Study permit
• Your South African birth certificate
• Proof of home address
• Proof of work address
• Latest Grade 7 school report (Grade 8 applicants only)
• Clinic card or immunisation report (Grade 1 applicants only)
All required documents must be either uploaded online or submitted physically at the school(s) selected during the application. All documents must be submitted within seven days of applying. Documents that are uploaded will be viewed by all schools. Documents that are submitted to schools physically must be submitted to all schools applied to and applicants will be informed via SMS after schools captured their documents
Parents and guardians must ensure that the information on the documents they provide matches the information they enter onto the system when applying. When uploading online, please pay attention to the document format and size required (example: PDF 10MB file size max).
“Proof of home address is the most important document when applying. Placement is confirmed on whether the school could verify the details of the proof of home address, which should have the information that correlates with the details entered into the system. We plead with applicants to refrain from submitting fraudulent documents as schools have systems to verify such,” said Mabona.
Meanwhile, more information can be found at www.gdeadmissions.gov.za.