A large number of registrations at schools cause havoc and protests from parents and school kids each year.
The province’s education spokesperson Charles Phahlana said new regulations had been put in place to avoid late admissions.
He said the department received 15 000 late applications in January.
By starting admissions three months earlier, the department would be able to prepare for the first day of the 2013 schooling year, Phahlana said in a statement.
Parents were advised to apply from May 22 to July 27 for the 2013 schooling year.
Application forms would be available at schools from this week.
Phahlana said parents did not have to pay a registration fee, administration fee, the first month’s school fee in advance, or any other fee to apply for, or secure, a place at a public school.
“The department has a constitutional obligation to place each child who presents themselves at a school seeking space,” he said.
There would be more time to place pupils during this application period and to help parents who had not found space in schools closer to where they worked or stayed, said Phahlana.
Parents should prepare the documents they would need for their applications, he said.
“The application form should be submitted together with the following documents: a birth certificate, proof of residence, transfer card and/or last report card, and study permits for legal immigrants.”
Parents of grade one and primary school pupils would also need to hand in the children’s immunisation cards.
Phahlana said processes had been initiated to order textbooks, stationery and furniture to prepare timetables and to hire new teachers in preparation for next year. – Sapa