Covid-19 hung like a threatening storm cloud over the 2021 school year - as it did in 2020. The discovery of new variants and increased COVID-19 infections resulted in a turbulent school year for both educators and learners. Many pupils endured the fallout from an unequal education system as thousands were unable to access online teaching or material on social media. Prabashini Moodley takes a look back at challenges of the 2021 academic year