The Gauteng Department of Education has appealed to parents to accept placement offers at available schools after more than 20 000 late applications did not have the correct accompanying documentation. 

The department said it received 323 127 applications by the eighth day of the 2019 academic year.

"This reflects 1 217 additional applicants in 2019. Thus, the department receives a steady annual increase in learner numbers, which has resulted in overcrowding in some schools," the department said in a statement on Tuesday.

It received 40 304 late applications by Friday and said only 17 686 of those accepted placements.

"The 22 618 late applicants that did not submit documents forfeited their placement offers by 12:00 on Friday, January 18, 2019," the department added

These applicants have been urged to report to schools to find an available place. 

When the online application process was opened in April, about 300 000 people applied. 

The highest demands were for Grade 1 (150 000 applications) and Grade 8 (133 000).

In October last year, the department had to extend its placement of Grade 1 and Grade 8 pupils for the 2019 school year because more than 6 000 had not been placed.

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