Gauteng school applications open this week

© Nolre Lourens – 123RF.com

“I urge all parents and guardians to use the online registration process and apply during the specified application period. No late applications will be accommodated,” Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi said on Tuesday.

Parents of all learners that are currently in Grade R and/or Grade 7 must apply for admission of their children to Grade 1 or Grade 8 for the 2021 academic year by logging on to the Gauteng Department of Education’s Admissions Online Application platform at www.gdeadmissions.gov.za.

Applications will open on Thursday at 8am and close on 25 July 2020 at midnight.

“To ensure access to applicants who are unable to apply from the comfort of their homes and/or offices, the department has identified 34 decentralised walk-in centres in different areas where applicants will be safely assisted to make applications.

“In addition, all District Offices and Head Office will serve as walk-in centres. A detailed list of decentralised walk-in centres with addresses and contact numbers are available on the department’s website and local media,” the department said.

All decentralised walk-in centres have been deep cleaned and sanitised. The centres will observe COVID-19 protocols aimed at preventing the spread of Coronavirus.

“All required documents must be submitted within seven days of making the application. This year, the department is introducing online uploading of documents through the Admissions Online Application System.

“Parents will therefore have a choice to either upload the documents online to one school, which means that other schools will manage to access those documents in the system. Alternatively, parents may submit hard copies of documents to all schools applied to,” the department said.

Parents can upload documents using any computer device, including smart phones.

The following documents must be submitted within seven days after making an application:

Grade 1

• Parents Identity Document/ Passport
  
• Child’s Birth Certificate
  
• Child’s Clinic Card/ Proof of Immunization
  
• Proof of Residence

Grade 8

• Parents Identity Document/ Passport
  
• Child’s Birth Certificate
  
• Child’s Latest Report Card
  
• Proof of Residence

Parents urged to not visit schools

Parents have been urged to apply at their leisure and refrain from rushing to schools or walk-in centres when the system opens.

The principle of first come, first served will not be applied as a rule. There is, therefore, no need for any urgency to apply at 8am on 25 June 2020.

“So far, we are pleased with the success of the online application system and humbled by the overwhelming response by the people of Gauteng. The process has provided several cost-effective solutions.

“Automating services and moving away from human intervention has freed up manpower from other activities and enables better utilisation of human resources,” Lesufi said.

The department has appealed to parents to stay away from schools during this time, as schools cannot assist walk-in applicants due to the high risk of infection and spread of Coronavirus.

All schools will, as a safety precaution, make provisions for parents to drop documents off at an identified area at the school gate, away from class rooms and office space.

The 2018 Admissions Regulations and the Feeder Zone Regulations state that priority will be given to applicants who live in the school’s feeder zone, and closest to the school.

Parents are therefore urged to use the “Home” option to apply to a school that covers their home address.

The admissions criteria is linked to application options and ranked in the order outlined as follows:

• Option 1: home – The parent’s home address is within the feeder zone and closest to school;
  
• Option 2: sibling – The child has a sibling at the school applied to (not siblings in Grade 7 or 12); previous school – if the previous school is in the area/feeder zone of the high school that the parent wants to apply to (only applicable to Grade 8 applications);
  
• Option 3: Work address within the feeder zone – the parent’s work address is in the feeder zone of the school;
  
• Option 4: home address within 30km of the school – the parent’s home address is not in the school feeder zone, but within 30kms of the school;
  
• Option 5: home address is beyond 30km of the school - the parent’s home address is not in the school feeder zone, but within 30kms of the school.