The Gauteng Department of Education has assured parents of Grade 1 and Grade 8 learners that it is working hard to ensure that the remaining 15 144 unplaced applicants are placed in schools.
As of 12 December 2025, 342 668 of 358 574 Grade 1 and Grade 8 unique applicants have been placed, translating to 95.56% of learners being placed.
The 2026 Online Admissions Placement Period for Grade 1 and 8 commenced on 16 October 2025.
Unique applicants refer to individual Grade 1 and Grade 8 learners who applied using the 2026 Online Admissions system.
The 342 668 placed Grade 1 and Grade 8 unique applicants are as follows:
• 170 807 or 97.4% learners placed in Grade 1
• 171 861 or 94.2% learners placed in Grade 8
“Prior to the commencement of the placement period, the department conducted a capacity audit at all schools to ensure that available capacity at all schools are used to optimally accommodate applicants,” the department said on Friday.
As of 12 December 2025, a total of 721 schools reached full capacity.
This constitutes primary and secondary schools at capacity as follows: 458 primary schools reached full capacity, and 263 secondary schools reached full capacity.
“Unplaced applicants that cannot be accommodated at these 465 schools, are being transferred to the next closest school with available space.
“The remaining 15 144 (4.2%) unique applicants are receiving placement offers through transfers from schools with available space.
“It is important to note that the department prioritises placement of the 358 574 (Grade 1: 175 792; Grade 8:182 782) applicants with Complete Applications.
“Placement offers and transfer offers are released daily to facilitate placement of the remaining 15 144 (4.2%) unplaced applicants, translating to 4 498 (2.6%) Grade 1 learners and 10 646 (5.8%) Grade 8 learners,” the department said.
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The process of transferring applicants from schools at full capacity is in progress.
Transfer offers are made only after confirmation that the schools a parent applied to have reached full capacity.
The department said applicants with the status “Application is being processed” and “School Reached Capacity” should expect to receive transfer offers when their status changes to “Transfer offer made.”
“Transfer offers are made to the next school with available space, with due consideration of the distance from the parents’ home address.
“Parents / guardians who are offered transfer placement at schools that they have not applied to have the option to either accept or decline the placement offer within seven days of receipt,” the department said.
When the transfer offer is accepted, the learner is placed at the school. This placement is final.
When the transfer offer is declined, the parent may submit an objection within seven days of receiving the transfer placement offer.
To date, the department [has] received a total of 4460 Appeals across 15 districts. Seventy percent of these appeals have been adjudicated on, and parents have received the final outcome.
For more information, assistance, or comments:
• Call 0800 000 789
• WhatsApp 060 891 0361
• Email: admissions.hotline@gauteng.gov.za or gdeinfo@gauteng.gov.za
–SAnews.gov.za
