The Department of Basic Education dismissed claims about April school closures, reports Ridge Times.

The department issued a press release following the spreading of false information on social media suggesting that public schools will be closed from April 28 to 30.

Schools will operate as normal on all three days, in line with the officially approved 2026 school calendar, said the education department.

The dates in question fall within the second school term, which runs from April 8 to June 26. As such, they are not recognised as public holidays or school holidays, and all public schools are expected to operate as normal.

The department urged parents, guardians, learners, and stakeholders to ignore the false information and refrain from sharing unverified content.

The Citizen reports that the 2026 school calendar is as follows:

2026 school calendar

FIRST TERM:

• Schools start: 14 January 2026
• Schools close: 27 March 2026
• School holidays: 28 March to 7 April 2026

SECOND TERM:

• Schools start: 8 April 2026
• Schools close: 26 June 2026
• Public holidays: Freedom Day (27 April 2026), Workers’ Day (1 May 2026), Youth Day (16 June 2026)
• Special school holidays: 15 June 2026
• School holidays: 27 June to 20 July 2026

THIRD TERM:

• School start: 21 July 2026
• School closes: 23 September 2026
• Public holidays: National Women’s Day (9 and 10 August 2026)
• School holidays: 24 September to 5 October 2026

FOURTH TERM:

• School start: 6 October 2026
• School closes: 9 December 2026
• Public holidays: Day of Reconciliation (16 December 2026), Christmas Day (25 December 2026), Day of Goodwill (26 December 2026)