Gauteng Department of Education
The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) is located in Johannesburg in Gauteng. They are obligated to provide basic education to all learners, regardless of disability.
GDE Admission & Application
All admissions to any of the schools that form part of the GDE are made online. No applications will be accepted in person. GDE Admissions open from the end of February for 30 days, including Saturdays and Sundays. Applications for admission are made through GDE | Home
There are five different application options:
- Home: the learner stays within the school’s feeder zone.
- Sibling: the learner has a sibling at the school.
- Work: the learner’s parent’s place of employment is within the feeder zone.
- 30kms within the school: the learner stays within 30km from the school.
- Beyond 30kms from the school: the learner stays further than 30kms away from the school.
Learner Intake Application
You can use your phone or a computer to apply to GDE for admission for your child.
- Go to the GDE Admissions home page.
- On the home page, you will see various options. On the right-hand side, underneath the Login section, there are documents pertaining to admissions that you can download as well.
- Click on Login.
- The first step is parent registration.
- Fill out your personal details.
- When you type your ID number in, a block will pop up and ask you to input your name and surname for DHA validation.
- Your username will be your ID number.
- When creating a password, it will need to contain: eight or more characters, at least one capital letter, at least one lowercase letter, at least one numeric character, and at least one special character.
- Once you click on Continue, another block will pop up with Terms and Conditions. You need to read through this and accept.
- The next step is your home address.
- Entering your home address will bring up a search, and you need to click on your address.
- There is a button to click on if you can’t find your home address, and this will take you to another step that will assist you in finding your address.
- Once you have submitted your home address, you will have the option to enter your work address. Only do this if you are applying to schools that fall into the feeder zone that includes your work address.
- The third step is learner application.
- You will have a page that displays your address that you entered, a list of documents required, and a learner section that allows you to add learners.
- Click on Register Learner.
- Complete the learner’s information, and once complete, click on Register Learner.
- Once you have registered the learner, you will be taken back to the main page that shows your address, etc.
- Next to Learner Details, there will be a section that says Schools applied to.
- This takes us to the second last step, which is applying to schools.
- Click on Apply.
- This is where you will choose from the five different application options (Home, sibling, work, etc.).
- Remember, you can only apply to a maximum of five schools.
- Pick the schools you want to apply to, and submit the application.
- You will receive a reference number, and this number will also be sent to you via SMS.
- The SMS will tell you what documents are required. The documents that are usually required are the learners birth certificate, their clinic card, proof of address, and a copy of their ID or passport.
If you want to apply using the Sibling option, you will be required to enter the sibling’s details. Once you have completed the sibling’s information, click on Apply. You will receive a reference number and an SMS like before.
When applying with the Work address option, it will bring up school’s that are near to your work. Choose the school, and click Apply. You will receive a reference number and an SMS with further information.
Applying with the Home Address within 30km option will bring up a list of schools within 30km of your home address. You apply as before, and you will receive a reference number and an SMS with further information.
If you choose the home address further than 30km option, you will be able to apply for schools that are 30km and more away from you. Once again, you will receive a reference number and an SMS with more information.
The final option is for specialized schools/focus schools, such as technical schools and academies.
Once you have applied to the school/s of your choice, you will have seven days to upload the required documents. On the main page, on the right-hand side of My Profile, you will see a section that says Documents, and it lists which documents are needed.
The documents that are required are:
- ID or passport
- Refugee permit
- Asylum permit
- Permanent residence permit
- South African Birth Certificate
- Proof of residential address
- Proof of work address
- Latest school report
- Clinic/vaccination card
Click on Upload, and the next screen will have various blocks that list which document needs to be uploaded. Upload your documents, but make sure that they are valid. If they aren’t, then you will need to take hard copies to the school.
Once you have completed the above steps, your application to GDE is complete, and you can expect to receive offers from October. If you receive an offer, login and click Accept. You can accept the first offer that you receive, even if you are waiting for other schools to respond. If you accept an offer at another school, you will lose your spot at the first school. Once your final offer has been accepted, your child will officially be accepted at that school. If you prefer visual, then the GDE has a great PowerPoint presentation on the GDE Intake, and it can be downloaded here: