Shoes are being polished, uniforms ironed and hair cut and slicked back as most pupils prepare to return to school tomorrow. Here are five things you should know about the year ahead.EnrolmentsThe number of children expected to enroll for this year is between 900,000 and 1 million - the exact number will be known only once the term begins because late registration is a continuing problem."Sometimes parents show up on the [first day of term] to register their children," said Department of Basic Education spokesman Elijah Mhlanga.The department has a budget of R21.511-billion for basic education for the 2015-2016 year.New schooling systemA new three-tier schooling system is to be piloted in 58 schools next year. Pupils will be divided into three streams: academic, technical occupational and technical vocational.The technical occupational stream will focus on equipping pupils to enter the workplace with saleable skills, for example hairdressing. The technical vocational stream will include subjects such as engineering and technical drawing for pupils who want to further their studies in those areas after leaving school.Mhlanga said the system would work best if parents took a keen interest."Parents will have to sit down and talk to their children and find out what subjects will be best for them."The system will include career guidance.Technology in schoolsThe provision of tablet computers and other technology will continue this year despite some matriculants attributing their poor performance in the exams to being able to use their tablets for leisure activities, such as listening to music, to the detriment of their studies."We want 100% coverage; we want every one of our schools to have the technology. So, this year we are rolling out many more tablets," said Mhlanga.This year tablets will also be made available to all Grade 11 pupils.Norms and standards of school infrastructure"By November 29 every school that has no water, electricity or sanitation, and that is built from what are referred to as 'inappropriate materials', such as mud or corrugated iron, should have those things rectified."If not, they are breaking the law," said Doron Isaacs, of Equal Education."No province complies 100% with the standards but the biggest concerns are provinces such as Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal."Nutrition and sleepResearch has highlighted the importance of diet in helping the brain and body function optimally when studying. It was found that a decreased amount of zinc in a child's diet can slow the brain's ability to recall information. Seafood, beef and lamb are good sources of zinc.The proteins found in fish, milk and cheese help counteract lethargy and the carbohydrates in grain, fruit and vegetables assist in keeping energy levels up.The Sleep Foundation has found that lack of sleep leads to slipping grades...