School calendar: When do Easter holidays end?
The first term of 2024 is over. How long does Easter holidays last?
Pupils in South Africa are currently enjoying their Easter holidays with the first term now a thing of the past.
But how long does the holiday last – and when will learners return to their desks?
In a change from previous years, all public schools – both inland and at the coast – will follow the same term calendar in 2024.
There is no longer a difference between inland and coastal schools breaking up and returning to school as was previously the case.
To note: Inland provinces are the Free State, Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North West, while the coastal provinces are the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Cape and Western Cape.
The Department of Basic Education’s 2024 school calendar shows that next year will comprise of 203 school days across four terms, which is four more days than was the case in 2023.
The first term in 2024 ended on Wednesday, 20 March.
Pupils will return to school on Wednesday, 3 April.
Considering all the public holidays during that two-week period – Human Rights Day, Good Friday and Easter Monday (Family Day) – it’s a short break.
The second term will run from 3 April to 14 June and will comprise 52 days – longer than the first term which was ‘just’ 46 days long.
DATES FOR THE 2024 SCHOOL TERMS
- Term 1: 17 January to 20 March (46 days)
- Term 2: 3 April to 14 June (52 days)
- Term 3: 9 July to 20 September (53 days)
- Term 4: 1 October to 11 December (52 days)
South Africa will have 14 public holidays in 2024 – which includes an additional day off to celebrate one public holiday which falls on a Sunday.
As mentioned, some will fall during school holidays, others will be welcome mid-week breaks for learners.
In a typical year, South Africa has 12 public holidays, which is roughly the average when compared to other countries.
The global average for public holidays is 11 days.
Workers in most European countries enjoy 10-14 public holidays a year. The United Kingdom, however, has only eight.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Myanmar has 30 public holidays, while Sri Lanka, Iran, India, and China have 29, 27, 21, and 17, respectively.
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS IN 2024
Monday, 1 January: New Year’s Day – Passed
Thursday, 21 March: Human Rights Day – Passed
Friday, 29 March: Good Friday
Monday, 1 April: Family Day
Saturday, 27 April: Freedom Day
Wednesday, 1 May: Workers’ Day
Wednesday, 29 May: Voting Day
Sunday, 16 June: Youth Day
Monday, 17 June: Public holiday Youth Day observed
Friday, 9 August: National Women’s Day
Tuesday, 24 September: Heritage Day
Monday, 16 December: Day of Reconciliation
Wednesday, 25 December: Christmas Day
Thursday, 26 December: Day of Goodwill
ALSO READ: You can get a free vehicle safety check this Easter