805,688 applications: Gauteng schools face 2027 capacity crunch
Gauteng faces mounting pressure on school capacity after receiving 805,688 Grade 1 and 8 applications for 2027, with Education MEC Lebogang Maile calling for a rethink.
The Gauteng Department of Education has received 805,688 applications for Grade 1 and Grade 8 places for the 2027 academic year, presenting a significant challenge to school capacity in the province. Education MEC Lebogang Maile has called for a reevaluation of how available classrooms are utilized, expressing concern over the concentration of applications around particular schools and regions.
With some schools receiving thousands of applications despite limited available places, Maile emphasized that existing classrooms cannot indefinitely accommodate more learners without negatively impacting teaching and learning conditions, educator workload, discipline, safety, infrastructure, and educational outcomes. The department now needs to make better use of existing capacity and distribute learners more equitably, with placement determined by various criteria, including proximity to the learner's home address and previous school, parent's work address, and sibling status at the school.
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