The Department of Education has officially launched the proposed school calendar for 2025. You know what that means: It’s time to start planning for all the academic activities that lie ahead.
Between extracurriculars, matric exams and school holidays, there are plenty of important dates to add to your diaries.
Not sure where to begin? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here’s a look at what the 2025 School Calendar has in store:
Table of Contents
2025 School Calendar: Public School
The proposed 2025 school calendar has officially been released for public schools.
The Department of Basic Education has summarised the 2025 school year as follows:
- 43 weeks
- 209 (213) days
- 6+3 public holidays
- 200 (204) school days
The new calendar shows that the the Department of Education has added an additional three holidays, due to the ‘special school holidays’ that will take place in the year. This is an update to previous years, such as the 25 days that have been planned for 2024, and 32 days in 2023.
The reason for the extra days is due to the Public Holidays Act of 1994. According to Section 2(1) of the Act, “whenever a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the followiing Monday shall be a public holiday.”
More time off means that learners and teachers alike will have more time to relax, unwind and recoporate, allowing them to tackle the remainder of the year with a fresh mindset.
With that said, let’s see what the school calendar has in store for the year 2025.
2024 Calendar for Public Schools
The 2025 school year begins on 15 January 2025 in Term 1 and will end on 12 December 2025 during Term 4. Keeping those dates in mind, here is what the 2025 school calendar looks like for public schools this year:
Term 1
Public holiday: New Year’s Day Wednesday, 1 January 2025 |
Administration days 13-14 January 2025 |
Term 1 |
Schools start Wednesday, 15 January 2025 |
Schools end Friday, 28 March 2025 |
Public holiday: Human Rights Day Friday, 21 March 2025 |
School holidays 29 March – 7 April 2025 |
Term 2
Term 2 |
School starts Tuesday, 8 April 2025 |
School ends Friday, 17 June 2025 |
Public holiday: Good Friday Friday, 18 April 2024 |
Public holiday: Family Day Monday, 21 April 2025 |
Public holiday: Freedom Day Sunday, 27 April 2025 |
Special School Holiday Tuesday, 29 April 2025 |
Special School Holiday Wednesday, 30 April 2025 |
Public holiday: Workers’ Day Thursday, 1 May 2025 |
Special School Holiday Friday, 2 May 2025 |
Public holiday: Youth Day Monday, 16 June 2025 |
Public holiday Monday, 17 June 2024 |
School holidays 18 June – 8 July 2024 |
Term 3
Term 3 |
School starts Tuesday, 22 July 2025 |
School ends Friday, 3 October 2025 |
Public holiday: National Women’s Day Saturday, 9 August 2025 |
Public holiday: Heritage Day Wednesday, 24 September 2025 |
School holidays 6 – 10 October 2025 |
Term 4
Term 4 |
School starts Monday, 13 October 2025 |
School ends Wednesday, 10 December 2025 |
Administration Days 11-12 December 2025 |
Public holiday: Day of Reconciliation Tuesday, 16 December 2025 |
Public holiday: Christmas Day Thursday, 25 December 2025 |
Public holiday: Day of Goodwill Friday, 26 December 2025 |
Summary of Public School Calendar for 2025
Overall, the 2025 South African school calendar intends to be an academic-filled year that sets out to provide learners with enriched learning experiences. With plenty of opportunities for learning, it’s important that learners and teachers alike set aside time to plan their days to ensure they get the most out of the school year.
Be sure to mark the below dates to ensure that you always stay a step ahead of the curve:
Summary of Proposed Dates for 2025
Duration
Number of weeks
Number of days
Number of public holidays
Number of school days
(13) 15 January – 28 March
11
53 (55)
1
52 (54)
8 April – 27 June
12
59
4+3
52
22 July – 3 October
11
54
1
53
13 October – (10) 12 December
9
43 (45)
0
43 (45)
Total
43
209 (213)
6+3
200 (204)
2025 School Calendar: IEB Schools
In terms of the school calendar dates for IEB schools, it’s important to note that there are no universal dates or calendars that apply to all of the independent schools in South Africa. Many of the IEB schools folow the public school calendar while other IEB schools follow an association calendar.
Certain IEB schools follow their own specific calendars. The ISASA calendar committee of the Central Region (Gauteng, Free State, North West and Northern Cape) publishes a Central Region Calendar, which is meant to be used as a guideline for member schools in the region. ISASA member schools aren’t required to use this calendar, but most of them do.
Keeping that in mind, here is the proposed calendar for the Central Region IEB schools in 2025:
3-Term Calendar
Term 1 |
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Opens | Wednesday, 15 January 2025 |
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Closes | Friday, 4 April 2025 |
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Half Term: closing open and days |
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Closes | Thursday, 20 February 2025 at 12:00 |
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Opens | Tuesday, 25 February 2025 |
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Public Holidays: | Friday, 21 March 2025 (Human Rights Day) Easter Weekend (18 – 12 April) |
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Term 2 |
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Opens | Tuesday, 6 May 2025 |
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Closes | Friday, 8 August 2025 |
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Half Term |
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Closes | Friday, 27 June 2025 (standard time) |
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Opens | Monday, 7 July 2025 |
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Public holidays |
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Youth Day | Monday, 16 June 2025 |
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Term 3 |
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Opens | Wednesday, 3 September 2025 |
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Closes | Wednesday, 3 December 2025 |
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Half Term |
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Closes | Thursday, 16 October 2025 at 12:00 |
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Opens | Tuesday, 21 October 2025 | |
Public Holidays | Wednesday, 24 September (Heritage Day) | |
Total Number of Days: | 181 days plus 10 Saturdays |
4-Term Calendar
Term 1 |
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Opens | Wednesday, 15 January 2025 |
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Closes | Thursday, 20 March 2025 |
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Term 2 |
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Opens | Tuesday, 8 April 2025 |
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Closes | Friday, 27 June 2025 |
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Public Holidays and School Holidays |
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Good Friday | Friday, 18 April | |
Family Day | Monday, 21 April | |
Freedom Day | Monday, 28 April | |
School Holidays | 29 – 30 April | |
Worker’s Day | Thursday, 1 May 2025 |
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Special School Holiday | Friday, 2 May 2025 |
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Youth Day | Monday, 16 June 2025 |
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Term 3 |
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Opens | Tuesday, 22 July 2025 |
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Closes | Friday, 26 September 2025 |
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Public Holidays |
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Heritage Day | Wednesday, 24 September 2025 |
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Term 4 |
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Opens | Tuesday, 14 October 2025 |
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Closes | Wednesday, 3 December 2025 |
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Plan Ahead for the Academic Year
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