As the 2026 school year gets under way, scenes of frustration, disruption and fragile hope are playing out across the country. From unplaced learners and fee disputes in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, to flood-hit schools in Limpopo, overcrowded classrooms and infrastructure backlogs in the Eastern Cape, and smoother starts alongside last-minute pleas in parts of the Western Cape, parents and pupils are confronting a deeply uneven education system. While some schools opened their doors with confidence, thousands of children remain at home, waiting for placement.