EBONY PRIMARY SCHOOL IS ONE OF THE SCHOOLS WITH HIGHEST APPLICATIONS IN GAUTENG

The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) says the online admissions process for the 2026 academic year has entered its final week, with over 738,000 applications received for Grade 1 and Grade 8 placements.

During a media briefing at Edenglen Primary School on Friday, Gauteng MEC for Education, Matome Chiloane, provided the latest update on the #2026OnlineAdmissionsGP campaign.

As of Thursday, 21 August 2025, the admissions system had captured:
• 315,865 applications for Grade 1
• 422,580 applications for Grade 8
• 738,445 total applications

High-Pressure Schools Identified

The department confirmed that a number of schools across the province have received applications far beyond their capacity.

One of the schools facing this challenge is Ebony Park Primary School, which has already received 821 applications but only has space for 280 learners in 2026.

Other areas, such as Ivory Park and Rabie Ridge, will also be under pressure. MEC Chiloane noted that Ducie September Primary School will get additional classroom space with the replacement of mobile units to help manage demand.

Deadlines Parents Must Note
• The application period closes on Friday, 29 August 2025 at midnight (00:00).
• Parents who have already applied must submit certified copies of required documents (such as IDs, birth certificates, and proof of residence) to schools or upload them online by 12:00 PM on 9 September 2025.
• No new applications will be accepted after 29 August.

What’s Next

Placement offers for successful applicants will be issued from 16 October 2025. Parents are advised to log in regularly to the admissions portal and keep their cellphone numbers active for SMS notifications.

With exactly one week left before the system closes, the department is urging all outstanding applications and document submissions to be completed promptly.