The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has kicked off the placement process for the 2024 academic year with a significant response from parents and guardians.
As of Monday, 04 September 2023, 228 027 parents and guardians have received placement offers for Grade 1 and 6 students.
The placement period began on Monday and will extend throughout the year until all learners are successfully placed in schools.
Among the received placement messages, 99 854 parents and guardians have already accepted their placement offers as final, while an additional 1 662 have accepted placement offers while awaiting further options. However, a substantial number of 126 511 parents have not responded to their placement offers.
The department’s spokesperson, Steve Mabona, emphasised the importance of prompt action, stating that parents must accept placement offers within seven school days.
“Offers not accepted within seven schools will be auto-placed at the school with a placement offer closest to the parent’s home address.
“If parents and guardians have not received an SMS, there is no need to panic as applicants are welcome to use their credentials to log on to www.gdeadmissions.gov.za to check whether a placement offer was issued,” explained Mabona.
Parents are reminded that the applicants are ranked for placement according to the admissions criteria, which include a home address within the school feeder zone closest to the school, siblings in Grades 1–7 or 8-11 only and if the previous school is in the feeder zone of the school applied to.
Additionally, applicants placed in schools they did not apply to have the option to accept or decline the offer.
“To submit an objection, the parent declines the placement offer and completes an electronic objection form online within seven days of receiving the placement offer.
“When placement is offered at one of the schools that the parent applied to, objections and appeals are not applicable,” said Mabona.
All objections are investigated on merit, and an outcome is provided within 14 days of submission.
Parents and guardians can contact the department’s call centre at 0800 000 789 or send a WhatsApp message to 060 891 0361 for further inquiries or assistance.
By Thembisa Shologu
