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FOREIGNERS ARE BEING PRIORITISED OVER SOUTH AFRICAN LEARNERS
CHANON LECODEY MERRICKS ONLINE_EDITOR
Gauteng MEC for Education, Matome Chiloane, dismisses misleading and unfounded claims and statements that the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) prioritises foreign nationals when placing children at the expense of South African learners in public schools.
“We wish to reiterate that, the department does not have a directive that instructs schools or officials to prioritise foreign nationals during learner placements. On the contrary, South African learners are prioritised in line with applicable legislation, as well as the Department’s admissions and placement processes”, said MEC Chiloane.
Furthermore, inner grade applications (Grade 2-7 and Grade 9-11) are managed directly at school level. They are not facilitated online, as with GDE Online Admissions system for Grade 1 and Grade 8.
Some Gauteng schools are currently facing challenges in accommodating inner grade applicants, and as such we urge schools to work collaboratively with district offices to manage the placements of these grades. This approach will ensure that learners are placed efficiently.
“No school is permitted to prioritise foreign national learners ahead of South African learners. Any school or official found to be contravening admissions policies will be subjected to consequence management. We will not tolerate any claims that suggest foreign nationals are prioritised at the expense of South African nationals,” said MEC Chiloane.
ONLY 2763 GRADE 1 AND GRADE 8 LEARNERS REMAIN UNPLACED IN GAUTENG
The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) continues to make steady progress in the 2026 Online Admissions placement process for Grade 1 and Grade 8.
Currently, only 2 763 Grade 1 and Grade 8 learners remain unplaced across the province, translating to:
735 Grade 1 learners*
2 028 Grade 8 learners*
The Department wishes to reassure parents that all learners who qualify for placement will be accommodated in public schools. The only limitation that currently poses a challenge is the lack of capacity in schools, particularly in high-pressure areas within Ekurhuleni and Johannesburg.
This means that not all learners can be placed at their preferred schools immediately. Despite this, the Department is working diligently to identify available spaces and ensure that every learner is placed as fairly and efficiently as possible.
The GDE Online Admissions system remains intact, and we assure parents that applications are being processed in an orderly and transparent manner.
The Department is working tirelessly to ensure that all parents who applied online for Grade 1 and Grade 8 will have their children accommodated in schools across the province. Our teams continue to engage schools daily to identify available spaces and to finalise outstanding placements.
LATE APPLICATIONS TO GRADE 1 AND GRADE 8 IN GAUTENG
The GDE Online Admissions system opened for Late Applications to Grade 1 and Grade 8 on 17 December 2025, allowing parents who did not get a chance to apply during the main application period to do so accordingly.
To date, the system has recorded and placed a total of 27 140 Late Applications for Grade 1 and Grade 8:
14 273 Grade 1 learners*
12 867 Grade 8 learners*
It is important to note that all Late Applications processed during this period result in immediate and final placements at schools with available capacity.
The 2026 Online Admissions system remains open for Late Applications until 30 January 2026, and parents are once again reminded that the system will only display schools with available space. This is particularly for those who did not apply during the main application period or those whose applications were incomplete during the main application period.
Parents and guardians can apply online by visiting: www.gdeadmissions.gov.za.
Late Applicants may select only one school and, once selected, the learner will be placed for the 2026 academic year.
“We remain committed to ensuring that every child who qualifies for placement is accommodated at a public school in Gauteng. We will not allow false and inflammatory claims to undermine the work of the Department, or sow division in our communities. Our admissions processes are clear, lawful and fair. The Department does not have, and has never had, a policy that prioritises foreign nationals over South African children,” said MEC Chiloane.
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