Gauteng online registration for Grades 1 and 8 opens Friday

The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) said applications will open on 22 July 2022 at 8am and close on 19 August 2022 at midnight.

The department has urged parents and guardians to apply online on www.gdeadmissions.gov.za to secure their child’s space at a Gauteng public school in 2023.

After applying, they will receive SMS notifications of placement offers to either accept or decline from 3 – 31 October 2022.

Following an analysis of various online parent surveys and stakeholder consultations, the system has been enhanced to follow a single application process, allowing all applicants to apply at the same time during the application period.

The GDE said it believes this overall simplified applications process will satisfy everyone.

Important documents to submit

Parents and guardians must upload or submit certified copies of the following documents within 7 days of applying:

• Parent and child ID or passport
  
• Refugee Permit
  
• Asylum Seeker Permit
  
• Permanent Residence Permit
  
• Study Permit
  
• South African birth certificate
  
• Proof of home address
  
• Proof of work address
  
• Latest school report and clinic card/immunisation report (Grade 1 only)

Parents and guardians will be given up until 26 August 2022 - 7 days after application period ends - to upload or submit their documents.

However, the GDE said, documents that are uploaded or submitted after the application period closing date will be considered as incomplete applications and will only receive placement at available schools between 1 – 15 December 2022.

To eliminate the risk of a school overlooking an applicant with uploaded documents, during and up to 7 days after the end of the application period, schools will receive an auto alert each time new documents are uploaded. The system will highlight all uploaded documents for verification.

“In order to hold schools accountable for verification of all received documents, the system will prompt schools to answer the question whether an applicant submitted documents or not.

“If verified, the system will prompt the school to verify and update document status. If not verified, the system will create an alert on the parent’s profile and an SMS will be sent to parent to submit or upload documents,” the department had said previously.

As part of the system enhancement process, applicants will be afforded the opportunity to make informed choices regarding languages offered when applying to a school.

Language of learning and teaching, home languages, and additional languages offered by each school will be visible on the system to applicants during the application period.

“All applicants will be granted an opportunity to apply to a school of their choice, according to the selected application option. This is an improvement as previous complaints we received stated that schools were not available for certain application options and, as such, all schools will remain open for applications for all during the application period,” the GDE said.

For all applicants to submit completed applications, electronic messages will be sent via SMS reminding parents and guardians to complete their application, and the same notifications will be created on the parent’s profile on the system.

The department said that SMS notifications informing applicants whether their application was successful or unsuccessful will be sent from 3 – 31 October 2022.

Therefore, parents are urged to note that it is highly important that applicants provide one reliable and working cellphone number when applying in order to receive notifications and complete their application.

Admission regulations

The department said the placement of applicants with documents uploaded / delivered within the regulated period will be prioritised.

It must be noted that placement will be conducted as per the following admission regulations:

• Home address within feeder zone
  
• Siblings
  
• Work address
  
• Within 30 km Radius
  
• Beyond 30km Radius

Decentralised walk-in centres

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

The department said that some district offices and the head office will serve as walk-in centres.

This information will be made available to the public via schools, districts, the GDE website and social media platforms.

“Parents and guardians who experience challenges during the application period are encouraged to visit our district offices and decentralised walk-in centres or call the GDE’s contact centre 0800 000 789.”