School placements dominated the reopening of schools in Gauteng, with many parents expressing frustration over unplaced learners and limited space at oversubscribed schools, particularly in Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni.
The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has acknowledged the pressure facing the system, confirming that thousands of learners initially remained without placement as the 2026 academic year got underway.
Parents gathered at schools across the province seeking clarity, with some reporting being turned away due to capacity constraints.
In an effort to ease the pressure, the department confirmed with the Saturday Star that 786 mobile classrooms have been delivered to 223 schools across 15 districts.
These classrooms have been deployed to oversubscribed schools experiencing high admission pressure and to newly established satellite schools to increase learner capacity.
GDE spokesperson Steve Mabona said the department remains committed to placing every qualifying learner in a public school.
“The Department wishes to reassure parents that all learners who qualify for placement will be accommodated in public schools,” said Mabona.
Despite these interventions, capacity remains a key challenge in certain areas. The department confirmed that 2 763 Grade 1 and Grade 8 learners across Gauteng are still unplaced, including 735 Grade 1 learners and 2 028 Grade 8 learners.
Mabona said rapid population growth has placed a significant strain on school infrastructure in high-density regions.
“The only limitation that currently poses a challenge is the lack of capacity in schools, particularly in high-pressure areas within Ekurhuleni and Johannesburg,” he said.
As a result, some learners have not been placed at their preferred schools, adding to parental frustration.
“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,” Mabona said.
“The GDE Online Admissions system remains intact, and we assure parents that applications are being processed in an orderly and transparent manner,” he said.
Amid the placement frustrations, Gauteng MEC for Education Matome Chiloane has dismissed what he described as misleading and unfounded claims that the department prioritises foreign nationals over South African learners in public school placements.
“We wish to reiterate that the department does not have a directive that instructs schools or officials to prioritise foreign nationals during learner placements,” said Chiloane.
“On the contrary, South African learners are prioritised in line with applicable legislation, as well as the Department’s admissions and placement processes.”
The MEC clarified that the GDE Online Admissions system only applies to Grade 1 and Grade 8, while inner grade applications (Grades 2–7 and Grades 9–11) are managed directly at the school level.
Chiloane acknowledged that some schools are struggling to accommodate incoming grade applicants and urged cooperation between schools and district offices.
“Some Gauteng schools are currently facing challenges in accommodating inner grade applicants, and we urge schools to work collaboratively with district offices to manage these placements. This approach will ensure that learners are placed efficiently,” he said.
He further warned that any school found to be flouting admissions policies would face consequences
“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,” said Chiloane. “We will not tolerate any claims that suggest foreign nationals are prioritised at the expense of South African nationals.”
Saturday Star