As the New Year begins, the Mpumalanga Department of Education has called on communities to start preparations to ensure a smooth and successful reopening of schools for the 2026 academic year.

The call follows persistent rainfall experienced across the province since the closure of schools in December 2025, which may have affected school infrastructure and surroundings. The Department has urged schools to take proactive steps to ensure that learning environments are safe, clean and ready for the return of learners and educators.

Schools have been advised to prioritise activities such as cutting overgrown grass, trimming trees, rearranging flower beds, attending to vegetable gardens, cleaning and organising classrooms, and ensuring that all learning spaces are orderly and conducive to teaching and learning.

The Department has further encouraged School Governing Bodies (SGBs), parents, community members and relevant stakeholders to work together and lead these efforts. This collective responsibility, it said, is essential to ensuring that teaching and learning begin without disruption from the first period on the day schools reopen.

Meanwhile, Mpumalanga MEC for Education, Ms Lindi Masina, is set to officially launch the 2026 Back-to-School Campaign on Tuesday, 6 January 2026, at Mathupa Primary School in Marite, within the Bushbuckridge Local Municipality.

The Back-to-School Campaign aligns with the Rhandza Xikolo Xa Wena Campaign, which aims to mobilise communities to take ownership of their schools and ensure that every learner returns to an environment that is safe, caring and fully prepared to deliver quality education.

The Department has extended its best wishes for a prosperous and successful 2026 school year to learners, educators, school management teams, support staff, parents and education partners.

“Together, let us make 2026 a year of commitment, excellence and shared responsibility in the Place of the Rising Sun,” the Department said.