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By Johnathan Paoli
With just days to go before the Gauteng education department opens its 2026 online admissions system, MEC Matome Chiloane has urged parents and guardians to prepare thoroughly and comply with all steps of the process to ensure successful placement of their children in Grade 1 and Grade 8 at public schools.
Briefing the media, Chiloane confirmed that the application window opens on Thursday at 8am and closes on 29 August at midnight, with no late applications to be accepted.
“This process is strictly for Grade 1 and Grade 8 admissions. There is no automatic placement for children currently in Grade R or Grade 7, you must apply online during the window,” Chiloane said.
Applications must be submitted through the department’s admissions portal which will be inactive until the official opening time and will close automatically at the end of the application period.
All parents, regardless of past applications, must create new login credentials for 2026.
The application process consists of five steps: namely to register parent or guardian details; home address; learner details; apply to five schools; and submit supporting documents within seven working days.
“Selecting only one or two schools is risky, choosing five improves the likelihood of your child being placed at one of your preferred options,” Chiloane advised.
The supporting documents to be submitted include a certified copy of parent/guardian ID or passport; child’s birth certificate or passport; legal permits if applicable (asylum, refugee, residence, work, or study); proof of home and/or work address; Grade 7 report card (for Grade 8 applicants); and clinic card or immunisation record (for Grade 1 applicants).
Parents may upload these documents online or submit them physically to each selected school.
However, only one submission method is allowed per application.
“If you choose five schools and submit physically, you must submit your documents at all five schools,” said Chiloane.
The MEC emphasised that accurate personal information and a reliable cellphone number were vital for communication throughout the application process.
Inaccurate details or mismatched documents will result in the application being marked as incomplete, and such applications will not be considered for placement.
Chiloane confirmed that the system used verified home addresses to assign feeder zone schools.
Thus, proof of residence is the most important document in the application.
For homeowners, a certified municipal bill (not older than three months) in the parent’s name with the full physical address is required.
For tenants, a copy of the landlord’s municipal bill, a signed lease agreement, a recent rental payment slip and a utility or bank statement in the applicant’s name reflecting the same address must be submitted.
For those living in family homes, a municipal bill in the homeowner’s name and the parent’s ID are required, along with an account in the parent’s name showing the same address.
Affidavits and “offers to purchase” will not be accepted.
To curb fraudulent address use, schools are authorised to verify physical addresses, with full support from the department.
Parents applying for Grade 1 must indicate their preferred language of learning and teaching from South Africa’s 11 official languages. The system will match this with schools offering that language.
For Grade 8, the learner’s Grade 7 home language, as reflected on their report card, will be used to identify suitable schools.
Placement will be determined considering the home address within the feeder zone; sibling at the school or feeder school linkage; work address within the feeder zone; home address within a 30km radius and home address beyond 30km.
Chiloane reiterated that completing the application did not guarantee placement at the first-choice school, but successful applicants would be placed at one of their selected schools based on these criteria.
To assist families without internet access or digital literacy, the department has established 81 walk-In centres, 15 district offices and support desks at all public schools across Gauteng. These will be open throughout the application period.
The Democratic Alliance Gauteng education spokesperson Sergio Isa Dos Santos, criticised the department’s silence on the details of the walk-in centres, saying it was creating “unnecessary anxiety” for parents.
“This lack of transparency is unacceptable. The department must urgently publish the full list of walk-in centres and their operating hours before the system opens,” Dos Santos said on Monday.
The DA has submitted official questions requesting centre locations, citing the chaos of last year’s admissions when over 6,000 learners were placed late due to system failures.
Responding to media queries, department spokesperson Steve Mabona confirmed to Inside Education that the list would be uploaded, but did not give a specific date.
In the meantime, Chiloane has encouraged parents to prepare all documentation now, ensure all information is correct, and avoid using fraudulent addresses, which disadvantage legitimate applicants.
He also issued a stern warning against scammers claiming to offer guaranteed placements for a fee.
INSIDE EDUCATION