Grade R learners don't have automatic entry to Grade 1 in same school, says GDE
JOHANNESBURG - The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) is reminding parents that their children in Grade R do not automatically have admission to Grade 1 at the same school.
This comes as some schools don't cater for Grade R, making it unfair to exclude external applicants.
The GDE's MEC, Matome Chiloane, said that all Grade R applicants needed to apply when online admissions opened on 24 July 2025.
Applicants for grades 1 and 8 will have until 29 August to secure their spots for the 2026 academic year.
Chiloane added that this means the BELA (Basic Education Laws Amendment) Act can't be fully implemented, which makes Grade R compulsory for all children, when some schools don't have it.
"Up until we get to that point, we know that all our schools have Grade R, we can then start working towards those applications."
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