The Gauteng MEC for Education, Sport, Arts, Culture, and Recreation, Mr. Matome Chiloane, has announced that the department has issued a total of 293,057 Grade 1 and 8 Placement Offers to parents. This announcement, made on 19 September 2024, is part of the 2025 Online Admissions placement process, which seeks to place Grade 1 and Grade 8 learners into public schools across the province.
Out of these Grade 1 and 8 Placement Offers, 146,385 were made for Grade 1 learners, while 146,672 offers were issued for Grade 8 learners. As of now, 148,744 offers have been accepted by parents, and the department is awaiting acceptance of about 105,193 offers.
Important Information on the Grade 1 and 8 Placement Offers
The Grade 1 and 8 Placement Offers are being sent out in batches and will continue to be distributed throughout the remainder of the year. Parents are advised to stay calm and patient as the process unfolds. To ensure that their child’s placement is secured, parents must log into the Online Admissions website within seven days of receiving an offer to either:
- Accept the offer as final – This finalizes the learner’s placement at the chosen school, and no further changes can be made.
- Provisionally accept while awaiting other offers – This allows the learner to remain in the placement process until a better offer may become available.
If no new offers are received within the seven-day period, the last accepted offer will automatically become final. Accepting an offer enables the child to stay in the placement process while the system searches for other suitable schools. If a new offer is accepted, the previous one will be cancelled.
Continuous Distribution of Grade 1 and 8 Placement Offers
The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has assured parents that Grade 1 and 8 Placement Offers will be continuously issued until all learners are placed in schools. Parents who do not receive an SMS notification immediately should not panic. Instead, they can check their child’s placement status by logging into the GDE Online Admissions system.
In cases where an SMS confirms a child’s placement at a specific school, no further action is required by the parent. The child is considered officially placed at that school. However, if a school reaches full capacity and cannot accommodate a learner, parents may receive a transfer offer for the next closest school with available space. Parents have the option to accept or decline these transfer offers.
Addressing Concerns: “No Documents Submitted” in Grade 1 and 8 Placement Offers
The department is aware of concerns raised by some parents regarding their application status changing from “Documents Verified” to “No Documents Submitted” in the Grade 1 and 8 Placement Offers. This change is part of the GDE’s thorough review process, during which the submitted documents are carefully checked for authenticity, legibility, and completeness. Parents are urged to remain calm while the department continues processing applications and issuing placement offers.
Placement Criteria for Grade 1 and 8 Placement Offers
The placement of learners in Gauteng public schools follows a clear set of criteria to ensure fairness and efficiency. The following criteria are applied when issuing Grade 1 and 8 Placement Offers:
- Home address within the school’s feeder zone closest to the school.
- Sibling attendance or previous enrolment at the school.
- Work address within the school’s feeder zone.
- Home address within a 30km radius of the school.
- Home address beyond a 30km radius of the school.
Applications flagged as “No Documents Submitted” will only be considered for placement during the late registration period, which begins on 11 December 2024.
Objection and Appeal Process for Grade 1 and 8 Placement Offers
Parents who are not satisfied with the Grade 1 and 8 Placement Offers they received can submit an objection using an online form within seven days of receiving the offer. The GDE will review objections and provide outcomes within 14 days. If parents remain unsatisfied with the objection outcome, they can submit an appeal to the MEC within seven days. The appeal process will be resolved within 14 to 21 days, and the decision is final and binding.
Assistance for Parents Regarding the Grade 1 and 8 Placement Offers
For parents who need further assistance or clarification regarding their child’s Grade 1 and 8 Placement Offers, the GDE has made support services available. Parents can contact the department through the GDE Contact Centre at 0800 000 789 or via WhatsApp at 060 891 0361. Additionally, there are 15 district offices across Gauteng where parents can receive in-person assistance with any issues related to the admissions process.
In a statement, MEC Matome Chiloane emphasized the department’s commitment to ensuring fairness in the placement process. “We remain committed to placing all learners fairly. We thank parents for their patience and cooperation as we work diligently to secure placements for learners in Gauteng public schools,” said MEC Chiloane.
Key Dates and Action Steps for Parents
Parents who have not yet accepted their Grade 1 and 8 Placement Offers are urged to log into the Online Admissions system and follow the necessary steps. The key actions parents need to take are:
- Log on to www.gdeadmissions.gov.za within seven days of receiving a placement offer.
- Either accept the offer as final or provisionally accept the offer while awaiting other offers.
- If no new offers are made within seven days, the last accepted offer will automatically become final.
Additionally, parents are encouraged to regularly check the GDE website for placement updates if they have not received SMS notifications about their child’s Grade 1 and 8 Placement Offers.
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The Grade 1 and 8 Placement Offers issued by the Gauteng Department of Education represent a significant step towards ensuring that all learners in the province have access to quality public education for the 2025 school year. While the placement process continues, the department encourages parents to remain patient and cooperate fully with the system.
For ongoing updates and news about the placement process, parents are encouraged to follow the Gauteng Department of Education on social media:
- Facebook: The Gauteng Department of Education
- X (formerly Twitter): @EducationGP1
- Instagram: @gautengdepartmentofeducation
For official media releases, speeches, and news, parents can also visit the department’s online portal: education.gauteng.gov.za
