GDE Online Admissions Applications Draw Close

The Gauteng Department of Education has to date received 269 676 applications; 147779 for Grade 1 and 121897 applications for Grade 8.  This 59921 higher is higher compared to the same period last year. The current capacity is 342 610. The Online Admissions for Grade 1 and 8 opened on 2 May and will close tonight at midnight.

The department commends parents for heeding the call to apply online and on time, and the significant increase in the number of applications during the last week of the application period is notable.

The Department hereby reminds of the closing date of the application period and advise them to go to the nearest school, or apply online by midnight, today.

Bulk SMSes were forwarded to all parents who had not yet applied for Grade 1 and/or Grade 8 for the 2018 learner intake

As part of the celebrations to commemorate Youth Month, an Admissions Exhibition has been set up at NASREC Exhibition Center. Parents of learners who have not yet applied for 2018 admissions are invited to make their applications at the Center.

The Department continues to monitor schools with low application numbers as perceptions vary from poor quality of education, to schools situated in rural / township or distant areas where the uptake among parents is slow.

Statistics Breakdown:

•      The largest number of applications were made in the Johannesburg Region, where 102 419 applications were made to schools

•      The 2nd largest number of applications is observed in Ekurhuleni Region, where 79 779  applications were made

•   Tshwane has received the 3^rd largest number of applications with 77 597 applications

•      Sediwes reflects the smallest number of applications at 43 112 applications

•      The number of schools with less than 50 applications have consistently decreased every week, from 636 on 22 May 2017  to 402 schools on 9 July 2017

•      The  11 schools with more than 1200 applications have steadily remained the Top Pressure Schools for the past three weeks

•      Boksburg High School has emerged  to share the Top Spot with Hoërskool Akasia as the two most popular schools in the province, having received 1525 applications each

•      10 of the 11 top high-pressure schools are Secondary Schools. Laerskool Akasia, with 1308 applications, is the only primary school with more than 1200 applications

•      The 6 Districts: EN, ES, JC, JN, TS, TW will be mitigating the challenge of placing the overflow of learners by:

-          Transferring the learners to schools with low application numbers

-          Arranging for Scholar Transportation for learners who cannot find placement close to their homes

-          Construction of schools in are in progress in the high pressure areas

•      Sunward Park High School (ES) remains the most preferred ICT school, reflecting the highest number of applications at 1050, followed by Dalpark High School (GE) with 753 and Ponelopele Oracle Secondary School (JE)  with 671 applications

•      The ICT school with the lowest number of applications is Ramosukula Secondary(SW) with 49 applications followed by Payneville Primary (GE) with 58 applications

•      Only 8 schools  are recognised as gazetted Schools of Specialisation

•      PACE Commercial Secondary School has received the highest number of Applications (419)

•      The 3 schools with low application numbers, (East Rand School of the Arts, National school of the Arts and Rosina Sedibane) were  added to the system on 7 June 2017. Capturing of applications to these schools will occur before the placement period

We call on parents who have not yet applied to do everything necessary to submit their applications before the midnight deadline. Between now and the placement period, schools will submit their lists to districts for verification and approval. The placement period commences on 24 July 2017. Once parents receive an offer of placement, they are advised to accept or reject the offer. If parents do not respond, the offer will be given to other parents on the queue

“Once more, we thank the people of Gauteng for the overwhelming response to the online admissions. The early processing of admissions means that learning and teaching can commence on the first day of the 2018 academic calendar,” says MEC Panyaza Lesufi.

The department will also be using data to plan for infrastructure provisioning of stationery, furniture as well as employment and allocation of educators.

REGION	DISTRICTS	SCHOOLS
Ekurhuleni	ES; EN	Boksburg High School (1525) Alberton High School (1437) Benoni High School (1269)
Johannesburg	JC; JN	Mondeor High School (1461) Sir John Adamson High School (1385) Hoërskool President (1322) Northcliff High School (1277)
Tshwane	TW; TS	Laerskool Akasia (1308) Hoërskool Akasia (1525) Hoërskool Gerrit Maritz (1244 Pretoria High School For Girls (1461)

For more information, contact the Gauteng Department of Education’s Acting Head of Communication Oupa Bodibe on 011 355 1530 or 072 645 4569.