Gauteng parents left in limbo as school admissions crisis continues

Thousands of parents across Gauteng remain in uncertainty as the Department of Education struggles to finalise placements for Grade 1 and Grade 8 learners for the 2026 academic year.

As of 4 December 2025, 317 988 out of 358 574 unique applicants had been placed through the #2026OnlineAdmissionsGP system, translating to 88.7% of learners. This leaves 40 586 learners, or 11.3% of applicants, still waiting for placement offers.

Of the placed learners, 160 262 Grade 1 applicants, or 91.2%, have secured placements, while 157 725 Grade 8 applicants, or 86.3%, have been accommodated. The remaining unplaced learners are being offered transfers to schools with available spaces, including 15 530 Grade 1 learners (8.8%) and 25 056 Grade 8 learners (13.7%). Placement prioritises applicants with complete submissions, and offers are released daily to facilitate placement of remaining learners.

Gauteng MEC for Education, Matome Chiloane, said during a briefing on Thursday that 11 800 applicants had not yet accepted placement offers. This includes 11 666 applicants who had not responded to offers and 134 who provisionally accepted offers. MEC Chiloane noted that the delay is partly due to parents not finalising placement offers, and he announced that the Online Admissions system will automatically place learners whose offers are not responded to within seven days.

“Obviously every appeal is treated in its unique form. Parents must not assume that we just randomly have an automatic response for appeals. We investigate every appeal so that we can come up with an answer that is sufficient for the parent to understand. But the appeal process is only linked to transfers,” Chiloane said.

Parents are urged to log onto www.gdeadmissions.gov.za and either accept their placement offer as final or accept while awaiting additional offers within seven school days. All placements remain subject to school capacity and priority criteria, and applicants who cannot be accommodated at their chosen schools will receive transfer offers at the nearest school with space.

Despite these measures, parents report ongoing challenges navigating the system. Johannesburg resident Nelly Johnson, a mother of twins due to start Grade 1, expressed her frustration to South African Daily. “I go to the system and refresh, hoping for confirmation. I want to buy school uniforms, stationery, and pay registration fees for my children. I am a parent who likes to plan ahead. The wait is frustrating,” Johnson said. “It is worrying because January is around the corner, and I do not even know which school my children will attend. It feels like we are left in the dark while schools fill up.”

Civic Root Advocacy has highlighted widespread parental frustration, noting that many families experienced system outages, unanswered phone calls, and failed attempts to visit district offices. The organisation called for transparency on why the system collapsed, why communications failed, and how the Department plans to ensure every learner is placed before the new school year begins.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) echoed these concerns, saying incomplete placements reflect a flawed admissions system lacking transparency and responsiveness. DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Education Sergio Isa Dos Santos called on MEC Chiloane to urgently communicate with affected parents and address systemic issues that have left learners’ futures in limbo.

With schools nearing capacity and the academic year approaching, parents remain anxious about the prospects for their children. Many have reported receiving placement offers at schools far from their homes or unfamiliar to them, adding to the stress. Parents and guardians are concerned that delays may affect their ability to prepare for the academic year, including purchasing textbooks, uniforms, and arranging transportation.

The Department continues to release placement and transfer offers daily, but thousands of learners are still awaiting confirmation of their school placements. MEC Chiloane has set a deadline for all learners to be accommodated by 12 December 2025. Meanwhile, advocacy groups, political representatives, and parent networks continue to call for accountability, transparency, and clearer communication from the Gauteng Department of Education.

For now, families like Johnson’s are left checking portals, refreshing applications, and hoping that their children will start school in January without disruption. The admissions crisis has left many feeling frustrated, exhausted, and uncertain about their children’s futures, underscoring the urgent need for the Department to resolve the placement backlog and restore public confidence.