The new school year has begun in southern Russia amid a shortage of places in schools.

More than two million schoolchildren sat down at their desks on September 1 in schools in the southern regions of Russia, where the problem of a shortage of places and a second shift persists. Local officials used this date to report on the opening of new schools. In North Ossetia, the start of the school year has been postponed due to events commemorating the victims of the terrorist attack in Beslan.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", in southern Russia, the problem of three-shift education has previously been particularly acute in Chechnya and Dagestan: in 2017, the opening of new schools in the two republics did not allow for a complete abandonment of the third shift. In Chechnya, three-shift education became, among other things, a consequence of the First Chechen War, during which many schools were destroyed. In December 2022, the authorities of the republic reported on the elimination of the third shift.

In Dagestan, in the new school year, 486.5 thousand schoolchildren will sit at their desks, about 46 thousand of them are first-graders. By September 1, five new schools with more than 2.4 thousand places opened in the republic – in Khasavyurt, Kizilyurt, the villages of Pyatiletka and Bayramul of the Khasavyurt district, and Kakhamakhi of the Karabudakhkent district.

This was reported today by RIA "Dagestan" citing the chairman of the government of the republic, Magomed Ramazanov.

The creation of new school places is seen by the authorities of Dagestan as a way to prevent the return of three-shift education.

In Karachay-Cherkessia, more than 56 thousand schoolchildren began classes, about six thousand of them are first-graders. In Cherkessk, younger students of school No. 6 started the school year in a new building. Its opening allowed the transfer of first to fourth-grade students to single-shift education, reported the newspaper "Day of the Republic" citing the Ministry of Education of Karachay-Cherkessia.

In Kabardino-Balkaria, about 122 thousand schoolchildren sat at their desks in the new school year, including about 11 thousand first-graders. The authorities of the republic reported that thanks to the construction and modernization of educational facilities, more than 93% of students study in one shift. In 2025, nine schools with 5,500 places were opened in the republic, and in 2026, repairs covered 38 schools, noted the newspaper "Kabardino-Balkaria".

In Stavropol, the school year began in 636 schools, with more than 300 thousand students sitting at their desks, including about 27 thousand first-graders, reported the governor in his Telegram channel Vladimir Vladimirov.

In Ingushetia, more than 85 thousand schoolchildren sat at their desks, about 8.5 thousand of them are first-graders. The republic has 160 schools, 109 of which organized education in one shift. In 2025, the number of schools with two-shift education, according to the authorities, decreased by almost half, as stated in the message from the press service of the head and government of Ingushetia.

In the new school year, 8,347 first-graders will go to schools in North Ossetia. By the start of classes in the republic, 14 schools should open after major repairs, and one more after reconstruction, reported "15th Region" on August 31.

In North Ossetia, the ceremonial line-ups will take place on September 4, and in the Right Bank district – on September 5. The postponement is related to events commemorating the victims of the terrorist attack at school No. 1 in Beslan, reported the deputy minister of education and science of the republic, Andrey Shvetsov, whose words were cited by "15th Region" in another publication.

In Kuban, on September 1, about 760 thousand schoolchildren began classes, including 65 thousand first-graders. In the new school year, seven new schools opened. In Krasnodar, three new schools are designed for a total of 4,650 places, reported the publication BFM Kuban today, citing the governor Veniamin Kondratiev.

In the Rostov region, four new schools opened by September 1, and another five schools and three kindergartens resumed work after major repairs, reported the governor Yuri Slyusar in his Telegram channel. The authorities of the region also reported that more than 780 thousand children will study in 2,688 educational organizations.

In the Volgograd region, 702 schools accepted 252.8 thousand students, of which 22 thousand went to the first grade for the first time, noted "Interfax".

"Caucasian Knot" also reported that before the start of the new school year, residents of the southern regions of Russia repeatedly complained about various problems in schools – from a lack of textbooks and parental fees to education in several shifts and the threat of school closures.

Thus, on August 31, residents of Krasnodar complained about money collections for decorating schools, cameras, split systems, and other needs. On August 30, residents of Dagestan reported a lack of free textbooks and money collections from parents.

On August 19, residents of North Ossetia complained about the high cost of preparing children for school and collections for workbooks, printers, bouquets, and other needs.

On August 14, residents of the Vоровский farm in Stavropol held a meeting against the closure of the only local school.