Johannesburg: The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has successfully placed all learners who applied for the 2025 academic year in Gauteng. This marks a significant achievement for the department as it ensures that every child who applied for placement has been allocated a school.
According to South African Government News Agency, the 2025 Online Admissions system recorded a total of 344,890 applications for Grade 1 and 8. Out of these, 325,734 applications, accounting for 99.97% of the 325,858 complete applications, have been successfully placed. Meanwhile, 19,032 incomplete applicants were given the opportunity to select a school with available space starting from 11 December 2024.
Steve Mabona, spokesperson for the Gauteng Department of Education, explained that current assistance at the department’s offices is directed towards late applications and inner-Grade applicants. These inner-Grade applicants include learners relocating to Gauteng from other provinces or transferring between districts within the province. Mabona noted that the majority of these applicants would be accommodated following the 10-day headcount process, with their details being captured in due course.
Mabona further stated that late applicants for Grade 1 and Grade 8 are being assisted in submitting their applications and placed immediately where space is available. Additionally, there are applicants who are declining the schools allocated to them, including both those who applied during the initial online admissions period and late applicants seeking alternatives.
As of 20 January 2025, the GDE has placed 16,255 Grade 1 learners and 14,243 Grade 8 learners, bringing the total number of late applicants placed to 30,498. Mabona emphasized that efforts to address all queries and placements at their offices are progressing efficiently, with noticeable reductions in queue lengths as they continue to assist parents and guardians.