From Monday, parents and guardians will begin receiving online admission placement SMS’s for grades 1 and 8 applications for the 2023 academic year in Gauteng public schools.
The Gauteng Education Department received over 764 000 applications, the highest number since the inception of the online application system in 2016.
Provincial Education MEC, Panyaza Lesufi, briefed the media in Pretoria on Sunday on the start of the process.
The Gauteng Education Department is faced with yet another difficult task of placing all learners, as the demand for schools continues to grow. From the 764 000 learners, the department has to place 157 000 grade 1 learners and 174 000 grade 8’s. Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi has appealed to parents not to panic as placements will be done in batches.
“And remember we are releasing these SMS’s from the end of November until the 30th of November. So if you didn’t get the message, don’t panic, we are releasing them in batches and we are also releasing them every day until we have managed to conclude this process.”
Placement offers are based on home and work addresses as well as siblings in the same school. Home addresses within a 30km radius will then be considered. However, Lesufi says this still does not guarantee placement due to capacity issues.
“You might meet these criteria and your child might not be placed on the basis that we’ve identified 275 high-pressure primary schools that received what I always term abnormal applications. Abnormal applications mean they can only take 180 learners, they’ve received more than 2000 applications.”
The department has identified schools considered as high pressure. These are schools that receive an overwhelming number of applications which exceeds capacity. 275 primary schools and 221 secondary schools have been identified as high pressure. Most are in the northern Pretoria and Alberton areas. Lesufi says schools have been given funds to build extra classrooms.
“Our HOD has met with all the principals and SGB’s of those schools. We have given them money, and they’ve started building additional classrooms inside those school premises. In terms of primary schools, it’s 599 additional classrooms if you multiply that by 36 learners it gives you an idea of how many learners will be accommodated in terms of high schools, we’ve added 698 new classrooms where schools are building on their own. It’s faster, it’s quicker and it’s safe.”
Those who aren’t happy with the school they have been allocated will be allowed to lodge objections and appeals which must be submitted within seven days of receiving the placement offer.
“A parent has a right to appeal. You can object if you have placed your child at a school you don’t want but remember we didn’t thumb-suck that school, you applied for that school and if we say we can’t accommodate your child, you can then appeal to the HOD, if you are not happy you can appeal to me and say I don’t take your reasons why you didn’t take my child, we will be in a position to review your appeal and that will be an end to it.”
Only applicants who submitted valid proof of residence will be placed from today until the end of November. Applicants who have not submitted proof of residence will be accommodated from the 1st to the 15th of December.
Update on Gauteng online admission for Grade 1 and Grade 8:
