Reference: Published by Malcolm Libera (BusinessTech), 8 October 2024
The Department of Basic Education has announced that the school start date changes implemented in 2024 will be carried over into 2025.
In 2024, the department aligned the start dates for both inland and coastal schools, so that all schools across the country would begin their academic year on the same day. This alignment will continue into 2025, according to the department’s official statement.
The confirmed school calendar for 2025 reveals that schools will start on 15 January and close on 10 December. Historically, inland schools would start in the second week of January, while coastal schools resumed a week later. Despite the shift, the number of school days remains consistent, and the calendar merges throughout the year.
Department of Basic Education spokesperson, Elijah Mhlanga, highlighted that this change was primarily made to reduce traffic congestion. “The intention is to stagger the start dates for different regions to manage traffic volumes ahead of the new school year,” said Mhlanga.
He further explained that starting school terms on a Monday typically increases traffic on the Sunday before and also limits time for school hostel staff to prepare for students.
When asked about the decision to synchronize start dates for inland and coastal schools, Mhlanga cited the need to adapt to shifts in public holidays and other factors impacting the calendar. This adjustment ensures there are no unnecessary delays at the start of each term.
“The department reviews the policy yearly to ensure the number of school days remains intact,” Mhlanga added. “It’s important that we prevent any late starts, as these could push back the entire academic year.”
The 2025 school year will begin on 15 January and conclude on 12 December, offering 200 school days, starting two days earlier than the previous academic year. In 2025, there will be a total of 27 standard school holidays, an increase from the 25 holidays in 2024. However, this is still fewer than in previous years.
Key Changes for 2025:
Unlike 2024, the upcoming year will include three additional special school holidays on the following dates:
- Tuesday, 29 April
- Wednesday, 30 April
- Friday, 2 May 2025
These special holidays were approved by the Department of Basic Education in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, largely due to the timing of Freedom Day, which will be observed on Monday, 28 April (as the 27th falls on a Sunday).
Under South African law, when a public holiday lands on a Sunday, the following Monday becomes a public holiday. In the same week, Worker’s Day is on Thursday, 1 May 2025. As a result, the department decided to grant Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday as additional school holidays, effectively giving schools a break for the entire week.
Additionally, the 2025 school calendar will include six public holidays during school terms, compared to only two in 2024. Most public holidays next year fall during term time, unlike this year when many occurred during school breaks.
These calendar adjustments are part of an effort by the Department of Basic Education to compensate for the learning losses experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic, which had a significant impact on both teaching and student hours.