Gauteng School Placement Woes Continue

MEC Chiloane refutes claims of foreigner preference over South African learners

Matshidiso Selebeleng

Gauteng MEC for Education, Matome Chiloane, has strongly dismissed “misleading and unfounded” claims suggesting that the provincial department prioritises foreign nationals over South African learners during the school placement process.

In response to mounting public pressure and statements from various groups, the MEC clarified that no such directive exists and that the education department’s operations remain bound by South African law.

“We wish to reiterate that the department does not have a directive that instructs schools or officials to prioritise foreign nationals during learner placements. On the contrary, South African learners are prioritised in line with applicable legislation, as well as the department’s admissions and placement processes,” said Chiloane.

He further warned that any school or official found to be contravening these admission policies would be subjected to immediate consequence management, stressing that the prioritisation of foreign nationals at the expense of South African citizens will not be tolerated.

The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) also clarified that inner-grade applications for Grades 2 to 7 and Grades 9 to 11 are managed directly at the school level and are not part of the online admissions system used for Grade 1 and Grade 8.

While some schools are currently facing capacity challenges for these inner grades, the GDE has urged school management to collaborate with district offices to ensure efficient placement.

Chiloane reiterated the department’s stance on the matter, stating: “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. We will not tolerate any claims that suggest foreign nationals are prioritised at the expense of South African nationals.”

Despite these logistical hurdles, the GDE has reported steady progress in its 2026 online admissions process.

Currently, only 2 763 Grade 1 and Grade 8 learners remain unplaced across the province - consisting of 735 for Grade 1 and 2 028 for Grade 8.

The department has reassured parents that every qualifying learner will be accommodated, noting that the primary delay is due to limited capacity in high-pressure areas like Ekurhuleni and Johannesburg.

While this means not all learners can be placed at their schools of choice immediately, teams are working daily to identify available spaces.

Meanwhile, the late application window remains open until 30 January 2026 for those who missed the initial period. To date, 27 140 late applications have already been successfully processed.

Chiloane concluded by calling for unity and the rejection of inflammatory rhetoric that could sow division within communities.

“We remain committed to ensuring that every child who qualifies for placement is accommodated at a public school in Gauteng. We will not allow false and inflammatory claims to undermine the work of the department, or sow division in our communities.

“Our admissions processes are clear, lawful and fair. The department does not have, and has never had, a policy that prioritises foreign nationals over South African children,” the MEC said.