IN PICTURES | Tears and laughter: social media abuzz as bundles of joy take on first day of 'big school'

The first day of the academic year is always eventful, sometimes overwhelming, for pupils and their caregivers.

Some parents took to social media to share pictures and videos of their children's first day in "big school".

“Bundle of joy” was trending at number two on Twitter on Wednesday with South Africans sharing anecdotes of how the first day was going. Parents and guardians noted, in jest, that they were glad the children were going back to school as they could be a handful during the holidays.

Another commentator pointed out the inequalities that still exist in the education system, saying there were still pupils living in rural SA who had to overcome numerous challenges including walking a long way and crossing rivers.