Major changes: 2025 school term dates have been finalised

The Department of Basic Education has announced the term dates for schools nationwide in 2025.

The gazetted and confirmed school calendar for next year shows that all schools will start on Wednesday, 15 January and end on Wednesday, 10 December.

Prior to 2024, there was a difference in the term dates for inland and coastal schools.

In 2024 that changed to a calendar that was identical for all provinces.

The Department of Basic Education has confirmed that that will remain the case in 2025.

The 2025 academic year will consist of 200 school days.

Terms 1 and 2 will have 52 days, Term 3 will be the longest at 53 days, while Term 4 will be the shortest with just 43 days.

Next year’s calendar will have 27 standard school holidays, which is an increase from the 25 holidays in 2024.

Despite this increase, the total number of school holidays is still fewer than in previous years.

Notable changes

The Department of Education has introduced three additional holidays next year, thanks to the Public Holidays Act of 1994, which mandates that if a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday will also be a holiday. This change aims to give both learners and teachers extra time to relax and rejuvenate.

• Tuesday, 29 April
• Wednesday, 30 April
• Friday, 2 May

The 2025 calendar will also observe six official public holidays during the school term compared to the two observed this year.

This is because most public holidays in 2024 will take place during school holidays.

Key dates for public schools in 2025

Term 1

• Administration days: 13-14 January 2025
• Schools start: 15 January 2025
• Schools end: 28 March 2025
• Public holidays: New Year’s Day (1 January 2025), Human Rights Day (21 March 2025)
• School holidays: 29 March – 7 April 2025

Term 2

• School starts: 8 April 2025
• School ends: 27 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: 28 June – 21 July 2025
• School holidays: 18 June – 8 July 2025

Term 3

• School starts: 22 July 2025
• School ends: 3 October 2025
• Public holidays: National Women’s Day (9 August 2025), Heritage Day (24 September 2025)
• School holidays: 6 – 10 October 2025

Term 4

• School starts: 13 October 2025
• School ends: 10 December 2025
• Administration days: 11-12 December 2025
• Public holidays: Day of Reconciliation (16 December 2025), Christmas Day (25 December 2025), Day of Goodwill (26 December 2025)

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS IN 2025

Wednesday, 1 January: New Year’s Day

Friday, 21 March: Human Rights Day

Friday, 18 April: Good Friday

Monday, 21 April: Family Day

Sunday, 27 April: Freedom Day

Monday, 28 April: Public holiday for Freedom Day observed

Thursday, 1 May: Workers’ Day

Monday, 16 June: Youth Day

Saturday, 9 August: National Women’s Day (lost)

Wednesday, 24 September: Heritage Day

Tuesday, 16 December: Day of Reconciliation

Thursday, 25 December: Christmas Day

Friday, 26 December: Day of Goodwill