Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane announces online admission dates for the 2026 academic year
Image: Timothy Bernard/ ANA
The Gauteng Education MEC, Matome Chiloane has announced that online admissions for Grade 1 and Grade 8 for the 2026 academic year will open from July 24 until August 29, 2025.
Chiloane spoke during a media briefing on Thursday at Greenside High School in Johannesburg.
The MEC stated that the online admissions system currently serves applications for Grade 1 and Grade 8 only. He emphasised the importance of parents applying within the designated application period, as schools may reach full capacity, making late applications unavailable.
“We will be doing aggressive marketing and campaigning to prepare parents for that particular application period,” said Chiloane.
The department indicated that parents can only apply for five schools, and applications to other grades must be made directly at the schools. Parents are required to submit certified copies of their identity documents, the child’s birth certificate, and the clinic card for Grade 1 applicants and Grade 7 reports. The placement SMSes are expected to be sent from October 16, 2025.
“We will not be starting with Grade R for now because we have not fully implemented the Bela Act, and not all schools have Grade R,” said Chiloane
The MEC said there are about 400,000 spaces available in schools across the province and has called on parents to apply early for a better chance of admission.
Chiloane said to make resources accessible, the department has set up 81 decentralised walk-in centres across the province to assist parents with registration and applications.
Parents are encouraged to ensure that their information is correctly captured on the registered profile when being assisted with registration and applications at these centres to avoid errors.
“Applicants who have registered their details without applying to any school will not be considered for placement,” said Chiloane.
The MEC assured that the department will ensure all learners in the province are placed in schools according to reasonable, fair, and just admissions criteria. Parents are encouraged to submit any additional information regarding proof of address as requested by the schools.
Parents with learners in Grades 2-7 and Grades 9-12 in 2026 are urged to keep their children in schools where they are already enrolled.
The MEC acknowledged that many schools in high-pressure areas are oversubscribed, and the department is implementing all possible measures to ensure that every applicant is placed.
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