In a statement on Thursday, the department said it is important to note that parents and guardians will be sent SMSes, to the numbers they used to apply, with offers of placement.
They will then have to log on to www.gdeadmissions.gov.za using their credentials to accept an offer within 7 days.
“However, parents and guardians must also note that in the event an SMS states that your child or children are placed at a certain school, this will be regarded as a successful placement to the mentioned school only. There will be no need for a parent/guardian to access the system to accept an offer in that regard,” the statement read.
The department said SMSes will be sent out on a continual basis until the end of the placement period on 30 November, meaning that not all parents/guardians will receive an SMS on the first day of the placements period, but can receive one at any point during the placement period.
“If parents and guardians have not received an SMS, they are welcome to use their credentials and log on to www.gdeadmissions.gov.za and check whether they have received an offer or not.
“It is paramount to indicate that in the event a parent or guardian may have forgotten or lost their credentials, they must click on “Forgot Password” on the landing page and follow the prompts to regain access to the system. Alternatively, parents and guardians are welcome to interact with our call centre on 0800 000 789 for assistance,” the department said.
The department said it has identified 10 high-pressure schools during the application period, which received an overwhelming number of applications that exceed the capacity of learners that they can afford to accommodate.
The department has therefore appealed to parents that such schools will be unable to accommodate all those that applied.
“However, we request and appeal for patience from parents and guardians during this placement period. We, as the GDE, will ensure that alternative space is appropriately provided for all applicants at schools that have the adequate capacity,” the department said.
Gauteng Education MEC, Panyaza Lesufi, has thanked all applicants who have enabled the department to reach the next stage of this year’s Online Admissions.
Lesufi said during the application process, some schools received more applications than what they could accommodate. He gave the example of Parktown Boys High School, where they had to select about 210 learners out of about 1,441 qualifying applicants.
“We would therefore like to caution parents and guardians that not all applicants would be accommodated at their preferred school. Thus, we appeal for calm and patience from all applicants during this placement period.
“Our officials will work tirelessly to ensure that learners are accommodated at alternative schools. The department is committed to assist schools at high pressure areas to build more classrooms to accommodate more learners for future admissions,” Lesufi said.
The MEC said the fact that the school that received the most number of applications is a township school, Inqayizivele Secondary in Tembisa, is an indication that the department has changed the landscape in the improvement of township education.
Following are the schools that received an overwhelming number of applications:
1. Inqayizivele Secondary School
Capacity: 340
Applications Received: 1,916
2. Hoërskool Langenhoven
Capacity: 300
Applications Received: 1,477
3. Parktown Boys High School
Capacity: 210
Applications Received: 1,441
4. Hulwazi Secondary School
Capacity: 320
Applications Received: 1,375
5. Jeppe High School For Boys
Capacity: 208
Applications Received: 1,276
6. Sir Johan Adamson High School
Capacity: 280
Applications Received: 1,248
7. Lesiba Secondary School
Capacity: 350
Applications Received: 1,240
8. Hoërskool Jeugland
Capacity: 260
Applications Received: 1,154
9. Hoërskool President
Capacity: 450
Applications Received: 1,130
10. Eqinisweni Secondary School
Capacity: 370
Applications Received: 1,123
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