As the 2026 school year approaches, a growing crisis in South Africa’s education system is leaving parents and learners in limbo. In Gauteng alone, the Department of Education’s online admissions system shows that 4,858 Grade 1 and Grade 8 learners are still unplaced, out of 358,574 applications received for the new academic year. That means nearly 1.5% of applicants remain without a confirmed school just days before schools open.