High-density suburbs, particularly in Ekurhuleni, are creating challenges for the Gauteng education department as it tries to place pupils for grades 1 and 8.
There are still 4,858 pupils waiting to hear where there is place for them when school starts next week.
The department received 6,736 placement appeals, of which 637 objections await adjudication.
“The appeals adjudication process is at an advanced stage, with outcomes communicated directly to parents and guardians as finalisation progresses,” said department spokesperson Steve Mabona.
The number of unplaced pupils as of Tuesday morning is 1.5% of the total 358,574 complete applications received for the 2026 academic year, comprising:
- 175,792 grade 1 applicants; and
- 182,782 grade 8 applicants.
The department said it is releasing placement and transfer offers daily.
Only two Johannesburg districts account for a significant number of remaining unplaced pupils. Placement pressure remains highest in Johannesburg East
“Placement data per district indicates that the majority of the remaining unplaced pupils are concentrated in urban and metropolitan districts where sustained population growth and infrastructure constraints continue to place pressure on available school capacity.” it said.
Ekurhuleni remains the highest pressure district, it said:
- In Ekurhuleni North there are 1,741 unplaced pupils (grade 1: 381; grade 8: 1,360);
- Ekurhuleni South has 1,181 unplaced pupils (grade 1: 569; grade 8: 612); and
- the Gauteng East district has 247 unplaced pupils (grade 1: 85; grade 8: 162).
Only two Johannesburg districts account for a significant number of remaining unplaced pupils. Placement pressure remains highest in Johannesburg East, largely driven by demand for secondary school placements. These are:
- Johannesburg East: 1,173 (grade 1: 95; grade 8: 1,078); and
- Johannesburg South: 352 (grade 1: 250; grade 8: 102).
In Sedibeng and the West Rand, 70 grade 8 pupils are awaiting placement.
Tshwane North has only 14 unplaced pupils (grade 1: 1; grade 8: 13).
The department has prioritised Ekurhuleni and Johannesburg as high pressure areas, Mabona said, with interventions that include “intensified district-based placement and strategic utilisation of available capacity across neighbouring schools”.
TimesLIVE
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