More than 77 000 pupils remain without school placements in Gauteng for the 2027 academic year, despite the provincial Education Department saying it has made progress in processing applications.
The department said on Sunday that it had received 346 495 applications for Grade 1 and Grade 8 places. Of these, 169 182 were applications for children entering Grade 1, while 177 313 were for pupils moving into Grade 8.
By the latest count, 267 742 applicants had been placed. This leaves 77 414 pupils still waiting for a school place — a figure that includes 30 527 Grade 1 applicants and 46 887 Grade 8 applicants.
Grade 8 placements face the greater pressure
The placement figures show that the backlog is heavier among pupils entering secondary school. The department has placed 130 271 Grade 8 applicants, representing 73.47% of applications in that grade. For Grade 1, 137 471 pupils have been placed, giving the department a placement rate of 81.26%.
| Grade | Applications | Placed | Still unplaced | Placement rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 1 | 169 182 | 137 471 | 30 527 | 81.26% |
| Grade 8 | 177 313 | 130 271 | 46 887 | 73.47% |
| Total | 346 495 | 267 742 | 77 414 | — |
Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile described the number of unplaced applicants as significant, but said it must be considered against the location of available classrooms. The province has 139 024 available spaces, according to the department, but these spaces are not necessarily at the schools or in the communities where demand is greatest.
“Gauteng does not experience uniform pressure across its schooling system.”
That uneven demand is at the centre of the placement problem. Some schools still have capacity, while other schools are receiving more applications than they can accommodate. For families, the distinction is critical: an available place elsewhere in the province does not automatically resolve the difficulty of securing a school close to home.
278 schools have reached capacity
Maile said 278 schools have reached capacity in Gauteng. Applicants who cannot be accommodated at those schools are being moved to the next closest school with available space, the MEC said.
The department has linked the pressure to Gauteng’s population growth and continued migration into the province. Gauteng has the largest population of any province in South Africa and attracts families seeking employment, improved livelihoods and access to public services, according to Maile.
The effect is most visible in the province’s major urban centres. The department said the highest volumes of applications were recorded in the metros of Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni. These are also areas where competition for places at particular schools is greatest, while capacity may remain available in schools located further away.
Department defends online admissions system
The placement process is being managed through Gauteng’s online admissions system. Maile defended the system, saying it supports greater transparency and fairness in the allocation of school places.
- 346 495 applications were received for Grade 1 and Grade 8.
- 267 742 pupils had been placed at the latest update.
- 77 414 applicants remained unplaced.
- 139 024 spaces were reported as available across the province.
- 278 schools had reached capacity.
The department’s figures indicate that the challenge is not simply a province-wide shortage of places. Instead, the available capacity is not evenly distributed, with demand concentrated in particular schools and urban areas. This creates a mismatch between the number of spaces recorded by the system and the places families are seeking.
The outstanding applications now place the focus on the department’s continued placement work and on where pupils will ultimately be accommodated. Grade 8 applicants account for the larger share of those still waiting, with nearly 47 000 without placements compared with just over 30 000 Grade 1 applicants.
For parents and guardians whose preferred schools are full, the department’s stated approach is to move applicants to the nearest school with available capacity. The figures also show why placement remains a highly contested issue in Gauteng: a province-wide total of available spaces does not mean that every applicant can be placed in the school selected or in the immediate area where the family lives.
With the 2027 school year approaching, the department says it is continuing to work through the backlog. Until the remaining applications are resolved, thousands of Gauteng families remain uncertain about where their children will begin the next academic year.
