More than 210 000 applications for Grade 1 and Grade 8 placements were submitted within four hours of the Gauteng Department of Education opening its 2027 Online Admissions system on Wednesday, 5 August 2026. The school admissions process affects thousands of families across Gauteng who are applying for public school placements for the 2027 academic year. The department said the online platform opened at 8am and processed applications without major technical problems, while parents are being urged to apply well before the closing date of Friday, 4 September 2026.