Late applications for Grade 1 and 8 open on Wednesday as more than 10,000 Gauteng pupils remain unplaced

Late applications for Grade 1 and Grade 8 placements in Gauteng public schools for the 2026 academic year will open on Wednesday, the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has announced.

According to the department, the late application window is meant for parents and guardians who missed the main application period or whose applications for Grade 1 and Grade 8 remain incomplete.

Gauteng Education spokesperson Steve Mabona said applications must be made online via the Gauteng Online Admissions portal, and only schools with available space will be visible on the system during this phase.

Parents will be allowed to select only one school, and once the selection is made, the learner will be finally placed at that school.

Mabona warned parents to be cautious when making their selection, stressing that decisions taken during this phase are final.

“Placements made during the Late Application period cannot be declined, and no objections or appeals will be permitted once a school has been selected,” Mabona said.

According to the department, as of 13:00 on Tuesday, a total of 10,295 learners were still unplaced across the province. Of these, 2,848 are Grade 1 learners, while 7,447 are awaiting placement in Grade 8.

The department said it continues to work to ensure that all learners are accommodated, particularly in high-pressure areas. Placement offers and transfer offers are being released daily as part of the ongoing process.

Mabona said the placement and matching process remains active across all districts, with learners matched to available spaces in line with regulated admissions criteria.

Transfer offers are only issued once all schools selected by a parent have reached full capacity.

Parents whose application status reads “Application is being processed” or “School reached capacity” are advised to continue monitoring the system.

Mabona said once their status changes to “Transfer offer made”, they will receive an offer at the next closest school with available space, taking into account the distance from the learner’s home address.

The department also confirmed progress on objections and appeals. Of the 5,199 appeals received, these are currently at an advanced stage of processing as part of the finalisation of learner placements.

Mabona said parents or guardians who receive a transfer placement offer at a school they did not apply to will have seven days to accept or decline the offer.

If accepted, the placement becomes final. If declined, an objection may be submitted within seven days.

MEC for Education Matome Chiloane has urged parents to use the late application period responsibly and appealed for patience as the department works towards placing every learner fairly, efficiently and within the limits of available school capacity.