Gauteng MEC of Education Matome Chiloane says all Grade 1 and Grade 8 pupils who were still without placements in Ekurhuleni have now been allocated schools for the 2026 academic year.
Image: Itumeleng English / Independent Newspapers
Gauteng MEC of Education Matome Chiloane has confirmed that 484 remaining Grade 1 and Grade 8 pupils in Ekurhuleni - including Tembisa and Kempton Park - who were still without placements have now been allocated schools.
They applied through the 2026 online admissions system.
The Gauteng Department of Education said on Tuesday evening, March 3, 2026, that all outstanding applicants had been placed at alternative schools in their respective areas.
Chiloane said a total of 392,224 Grade 1 and Grade 8 pupils have been placed for the 2026 academic year through Gauteng’s online admissions system.
The main application period, which ran from July 24 to August 5, 2025, accounted for the majority of applications.
Meanwhile, 8.5% (33,650) of applications were submitted during the late application window from December 17, 2025, to January 30, 2026.
Chiloane expressed appreciation for the patience shown by parents and guardians while efforts were under way to secure placements for all remaining pupils.
Schools will implement catch-up plans to help pupils recover any curriculum time lost.
“The online admissions system remains an important transformation tool to ensure all our schools are accessible to all our children.”
“We are pleased to have demonstrated this through the placement of all applicants who applied online.”
Chiloane said the department is working to improve the system to reduce frustrations experienced during the process.
“In addition to system improvements, the Gauteng government will be constructing 18 additional new schools to increase capacity in the high pressure areas that we have identified,” Chiloane added.
Gauteng’s learner placement crisis is not new.
Each year, the province struggles to absorb growing numbers of pupils.
IOL News previously reported that Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has previously blamed the issue for being driven largely by families moving to the area in search of work.
Gwarube described Gauteng as the province hardest hit by the crisis.
“While parents may be anxious about unplaced learners, we will not stop until every single learner is placed in a school,” she said.
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