No automatic placements for Grade Rs in Gauteng - Chiloane
The Gauteng Department of Education has warned that Grade R pupils won’t be automatically placed at the same school when they move to Grade 1.
Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane briefed the media on the 2026 online admissions on Sunday at Jeppe Girls High in Johannesburg.
The online admission will open on Thursday and close on 29 August.
Chiloane said parents must apply for Grade 1 placement.
“You have to apply, you have to comply, you have to do everything that every parent will be doing to get their children admitted in our public schools. So if your child is in Grade R, you must apply.
The MEC said parents and guardians must ensure they upload all the necessary documents using the five-step application.
He said applications that do not contain all the essential documentation will be deemed incomplete.
“Every step of the application process will be confirmed via SMS for security and verification purposes. There will be weekly pop-up messages on the system and SMS notifications sent to registered applicants as reminders to complete their application.
“SMS notifications will also be sent to parents to acknowledge submission and verification of documents. Therefore, parents are encouraged not to change or lose their cellphone numbers, but in unforeseen cases, the department must be contacted for assistance.”
He added that all documents must be certified and submitted within seven days of the start of the application.
“Parents and guardians must ensure that the information on the documents they submit or upload matches the information they enter onto the System when completing the five-step application process.”
Chiloane warned parents of monetary requests from schools or individuals claiming to be from the department for Grade 1 and Grade 8 applications.
He reminded parents that the application process for placements is free.
“This is free. If anyone says, ‘Give us money, and your child will be guaranteed placement,’ let us know, go to the nearest police station, and tell us who that official or person is. There is no money required,” said Chiloane.
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