Information on finding a place for your child at a public or private school and details on the enrolment procedure in South Africa...

A parent may opt to enrol their child in public or private school.

Every child is entitled to a place at a state school. Public schools give priority to children within their feeder zone (a catchment area of around 5 Km, as defined by the school itself) and it is illegal to discriminate against any child or require the child to sit an entrance exam. Children must be admitted into a local state school even if the parents cannot afford the fees. Parents whose joint yearly salary is less than ten times the school fees should be offered an exemption or reduction in the school fees (if school fees apply). Many schools in poorer areas are completely government funded with no top up fees.

Private schools each have their own admissions policy which is not based on catchment areas. Qualification may be determined by stringent entrance tests. Independent schools must be registered with the Provincial Education Department. Private schools are all fee paying.

Students must be enroled at a school between 1 August and 31 October the year before they are due to start in that school. Grade R children must be at least four years old and turning five by 30 June the following year, while grade 1 students must be at least five years old and turning six by 30 June the following year.

For more information from the SA government: Click here
For more information about public school fees: Click here

Enrolment process

The following documents are required to register a child at a public school (a private school should be consulted directly for its admissions requirements):

Completed application form issued by the school
Child's birth certificate
Child's immunisation/vaccination card
Child's last school report if moving from one school to another
ID document or permanent residency permit

If the child is not a South African citizen or does not hold permanent residency the following are also required:

Study permit
Temporary residence permit

Study permit: all schools

Foreign children moving to South Africa or in the country on a temporary residence permit require a study permit in order to be enrolled in any South African school or university. This is obtained by contacting the Department of Home Affairs (in South Africa) or local South African embassy abroad.

The following documents are required:

Completed application form
Valid passport
Formal letter of acceptance to the place of study (school or university)
Proof that fees can be paid (if applicable)

Permits are normally issued within six week of application and are usually valid for three years but may be extended.

For more information about study permits: Click here

A child may begin schooling with grade 0 (also called reception, or grade-R) from the age of four. 

Grades 1 to 9 are compulsory and classified as General Education and Training (GET).

Grades 11 and 12, Further Education and Training (FET), are non-compulsory; qualification at this level with a matriculation certificate is required to enter tertiary education.

Some schools offer a post-matric/sixth-form level which allows students to sit for A-level exams.

The three-tier system of education is as follows:

Primary school: Grade 0/1 to grade 6/7
Secondary school: Grade 8 to 9 (compulsory); grade 10 to 12 (non-compulsory)
Tertiary education: Universities, technical colleges

This system is also referred to in phases:

Foundation phase: Reception to grade 3
Intermediate phase: Grades 4 to 6
Senior phase: Grades 7 to 9
Further Education and Training (FET): Grades 10 to 12 (matriculation certificate)
Higher Education (HE)

Pre-Primary/Preschool

Preschools are for children from age four up to seven years of age. They are normally split into two grades:

Grade R (year 0 or reception year), for children of four years of age who will turn five before June 30th
Grade 1 for children of five years of age who will turn six before June 30th

Compulsory education begins at grade 1. Parents are permitted to enrol their children in grade R or grade 1 a year later than usual if they feel that they are not ready for school. Some schools make this compulsory, insisting that children begin year one at the age of seven.

Public preschools are provided by some of the provincial departments of education but funding is limited. Most require top up fees. There are also many independent preschools or crèches. Children's learning focuses on literacy, numeracy and life skills.

The Centre for Early Childhood Development runs the Early Childhood Development Programme (ECD), mainly implemented in preschools, aimed at developing young children.
Primary school

Children attend primary school from their reception year to grade 6. The reception year is optional, and children begin formal schooling in grade one. Junior primary school usually lasts three years where children are taught basic subjects such as reading and writing, mathematics, and usually a second language is introduced.

During senior primary school (age 10 to 12 years) in addition to maths and language skills, children learn history, geography, life skills and science as well as developing written and speaking skills in their second language.

For more information on the school curriculum: Click here

Assessments

Annual National Assessments (ANAs) are standardised across the country and take place in literacy and numeracy in the foundation stage (grades 1 to 3) and in numeracy and languages in the intermediate phase (grades 4 to 6).

For more information and ANAs: Click here

Secondary school

Secondary education is also divided into junior and senior phases. Students may study two or three languages in secondary school. Senior secondary school offers the chance for students to broaden and deepen their knowledge in various academic subjects to help them with further study or prepare them for their choice of career.

Students study a minimum of four subjects from the following areas:

General studies
Commercial studies
Natural sciences
Technical studies
The arts
Agriculture
Domestic science

Grades 10 to 12 (optional years) can also include career orientated education and training in other Further Education and Training institutions such technical and community colleges.

For more information about the school curriculum: Click here

Exams and certificates

Education is compulsory up to the end of grade 9. Certificates are awarded on completion of grade 10 and 11, but the National Senior Certificate or NSC (the equivalent of a High School Diploma) is awarded on completion of grade 12. The NSC acts as a high school leaving certificate and is also referred to as the matriculation or matric certificate.

To gain the NSC students must take at least six subjects but there is an option to include three others which are not compulsory. Compulsory subjects include:

Two languages (home language plus another)
Mathematics
Life Orientation
For more information on the NSC and exams: Click here

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