Excitement and nerves as Grade R and Grade 1 learners begin school in Durban
A new chapter begins: Grade R and Grade 1 learners in Durban step into their classrooms, filled with excitement and anticipation for the 2026 academic year.
Image: Ntombizodwa Dlamini
EXCITEMENT, nerves, and proud smiles filled classrooms across Durban, KwaZulu-Natal as thousands of Grade R and Grade 1 learners officially began their schooling journey for the 2026 academic year.
Parents escorted their little ones to the school gates, some clutching brand-new backpacks almost bigger than themselves. For many families, this marked a milestone moment: the first step into formal education.
The schools were filled with smiling faces as the little ones were overjoyed to embark on their new grades, meet new teachers, and make new friends.
Grade R teacher at Clarence Primary School, Mrs K. Moodley, explained that to help the children adapt to their new environment, they have introduced fun activities and games to ease their transition from home.
"Some of the learners are just so excited to be here, while others are not as enthusiastic. To help, we play fun music for them to dance to, provide drawings for them to colour, and engage them in Lego games. This way, we can prevent some learners from crying when they see others upset," says Moodley.
Grade R learners as they start their coloring session
Image: Ntombizodwa Dlamini
Clarence Primary has welcomed 52 Grade R learners this academic year, resulting in 26 learners per class. Moodley emphasised that this is a significant change from last year, when they had over 30 Grade R learners in each class.
For Grade 1 learners, moving up to a new and higher grade is an exciting prospect as they will get to learn new things, participate in advanced activities, and meet new teachers.
Grade 1 teacher Ms Martin stated that their goal this year is to prepare the Grade 1 learners for upper grades, ensuring that their approach is supportive yet challenging.
"Our aim today, as it is their first day back at school, is to help them feel comfortable, adapt to their new class, and get to know each of them by name," says Martin. She adds that she is expecting growth and change from the new Grade 1 class.
Sbongeziwe Nzuza and Amelia Luwalala, both excited to be in Grade 5, expressed their eagerness to study Maths with their new Mathematics teacher.
"I am so excited to be in this environment again, in this school, and it makes me so happy to be with my friends, teachers, and my principal," says Sbongeziwe.
Sbongeziwe is already counting down the years until she finishes school, as she aspires to become an engineer.
While they are friends in the same class, their dreams differ, and one of them is still figuring out what they want to be when they grow up.
"When I grow up, I don’t know what I want to be; I just want to discover my path. I first wanted to be a veterinarian. My favourite subjects are English, history, and geography," says Amelia Luwalala.
The school's governing body chairperson said that the reopening of schools marked an important moment in the country’s education calendar, particularly for learners entering Grade 1 and those in Grade 12.
For Grade 1 learners, this year signals the beginning of a lifelong learning journey, while for Grade 12 learners, it represents the final and most critical phase of their schooling.