THE Department of Basic Education has gazetted proposed amendments to the National Policy for Determining School Calendars for Public Schools, motioning significant changes to how school terms, holidays and national calendars will be structured from 2028 onwards.

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The gazette includes many deletions and amendments to the current policy. Most of the proposed changes were made with the intention of creating a uniform and simplified school calendar.

Removing clusters and staggered calendars

One of the major changes refers to the complete removal of the long-standing “cluster” system separating inland (Gauteng, Free State, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North West) and coastal (Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Cape and Western Cape) provinces into two groups with different opening and closing dates.  The proposed amendments remove all references to clusters, staggering and differentiated lengths of holidays, meaning all provinces would follow one standardised calendar.

Proposed changes:

• The gazette proposes that from 2028, all schools are to open in the third week of January, irrespective of the province. The current policy states inland schools are to open in the second week of January and coastal schools to open in the third week of January.
• The first teaching day does not need to fall on a Wednesday. The amended policy also permit schools to begin on a Monday, which was previously not allowed. The gazette confirms that teachers can continue to start off the year two days before learners for staff preparations.
• The proposed amendment removes prescribed holiday lengths.
• The gazette also removes equal school days for all provinces, allowing for some schools to have more or less under certain circumstances.

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Public participation invited

Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube is inviting all interested persons, organisations and sector stakeholders to submit written comments. The proposed amendments and the full policy document can be accessed on the Department of Basic Education website.

Submissions should be directed to Mlambo.S@dbe.gov.za and CC the email Mkhize.ZM@dbe.gov.za.

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