The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has confirmed the dates for the 2025 school calendar, including a including a ‘special’ holiday week, just two weeks after the first term holidays for public schools.
The department has declared three additional school holidays, granting an extra week off. This is the week of April 28 (public holiday) to May 2.
These fall on April 19, 30 and May 2, with Worker’s Day on May 1, effectively creating a full extra week of school holidays.
Other key changes for 2025 included opening earlier than in 2024, when schools opened on January 17, as opposed to January 15, closing on December 10, and three special holidays.
This adds up to 200 school days.
The 2025 calendar includes 27 school holidays, up from 25 in 2024, with fewer holidays than the 32 in 2023 and 33 in 2022.
The 2025 school calendar for public schools will run as follows:
Term 1:
Schools start: 15 January 2025
Schools close: 28 March 2025
Public holidays: Human Rights Day (21 March 2025)
School holidays: 29 March to 7 April 2025
Term 2:
Schools start: 8 April 2025
Schools close: 17 June 2025
Public holidays: Good Friday (18 April 2025), Family Day (21 April 2025), Freedom Day (27 April 2025), Workers’ Day (1 May 2025), Youth Day (16 June 2025)
Special school holidays: 29 April to 2 May 2025
School holidays: 27 June to 21 July 2025
Term 3:
Schools start: 22 July 2025
Schools close: 3 October 2025
Public holidays: National Women’s Day (9 August 2025), Heritage Day (24 September 2025)
School holidays: 6 to 10 October 2025
Term 4:
Schools start: 13 October 2025
Schools close: 10 December 2025
Administration days: 11 to 12 December 2025
The Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa (ISASA) has confirmed that that independent schools will have fewer school days than public schools, starting on 15 January 2025 and ending on 3 December.
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