Gauteng online admissions for grade 1 and grade 8 to open next month

Grade 1 and Grade 8 admissions open next month, as announced by the Gauteng Department of Education. According to The Citizen, the online application process for school admissions for the upcoming academic year 2024 will commence in June.

Education MEC Matome Chiloane addressed the media during a briefing in Randburg, Johannesburg, on Sunday morning, providing essential updates regarding the 2024 online admissions.

Chiloane revealed that the application period for Grade 1 and Grade 8 admissions would run for a month, starting on 15 June at 8 am and concluding on 14 July at midnight. Notably, this year will see a simplified and unified application process for both grades, making it easier for parents and guardians to enrol their children.

“In the previous year, we adopted a two-phased approach. The first phase catered to learners already within the public education system, giving them priority for applications. Then, we opened up applications to others in the education system,” Chiloane explained.

He further emphasised, “However, this year we are streamlining the process to have just one application process.”

Parents and guardians can anticipate receiving SMS notifications with placement offers starting from 4 September.

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The department has improved its online admissions system in response to feedback from stakeholders, including school governing bodies and parents. These enhancements address previous challenges, such as system glitches and difficulty handling simultaneous users.

Chiloane assured, “Every year, we evaluate the system and identify areas for improvement, which can vary. Therefore, we can confidently say that the system for next year will be better.”

The MEC encouraged parents to use the school feeder zone application option by providing accurate home addresses. This option will allow them to explore schools near their residences.

Moreover, parents should apply to a minimum of three and a maximum of five schools for each child, giving them a more comprehensive range of options during the admissions process.

To apply, parents and guardians can log in to www.gdeadmissions.gov.za.

The department advised against using internet cafés for the online application process to ensure accuracy and avoid errors. Instead, they encouraged parents to seek assistance by visiting a school or district office or utilising one of the 80 decentralised walk-in centres.

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Picture: Twitter / matomekopano