South Africa School Year Calendar Released: The Department of Basic Education has in the passing announced the 2025 school calendar in force for South African public schools. Knowing this, parents, teachers, and students will plan accordingly. Fresh from passing, the calendar shows the opening and closing days for each term and all holidays when all provinces administer an unhindered teaching period.
2025 Term Dates at a Glance
There shall be four terms for the 2025 school year to stick to the usual pattern set in the past years. Here is a breakdown:
Term 1: Begins on the 15th of January and ends on the 28th of March.
- Lasts for the Autumn break: from 31 March to 14 April
Term 2: From 15 April to 27 June
- Winter break follows: 30 June to 20 July
Term 3: Opened on 21 July and ended on 3 October
- Spring break: 6 October to 13 October
Term 4: Commences on 14 October and ends on 12 December
Each term will have ten good weeks of instruction, apart from the fourth term, which will end early for exam preparation and year-end planning activities.
Public Holidays and Long Weekends
In addition to term breaks that have already been well scheduled, major public holidays are to be watched for, including
- Human Rights Day – 21 March (Friday)
- Freedom Day – 27 April (observed Monday, 28 April)
- Youth Day– 16 June (Monday)
- Heritage Day – 24 September (Wednesday)
Where public holidays fall close to weekends, schools may use discretion in adjusting lesson plans or activities.
Why the Calendar Matters
The Education Department went on to stress that the calendar needs to be out well in advance to enable parents to plan holidays, childcare, and academic support. Clear cut term dates put schools in a better position to prepare for assessments, national exams, and extracurricular events.
The 2025 calendar allows for a balance between learning and rest, and also follows the national curriculum recovery plan post disruptions over the past years.
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