Say what? South African schoolchildren score surprise April holiday extension

Public holiday-laden April gives South African schoolchildren extra week of holiday

April 4, 2025

Kaylene Louw 1 minute read

Learners and educators will have an extra week off to spend with family and friends Photo: Nikhita S/Unsplash

April is a fine time for schoolchildren who would rather be on holiday than in the classroom.

As well as the two long weekends, namely Easter and Freedom Day scheduled for mid- and late-April, teachers and learners will this year be treated to three ‘special school holidays’, giving them an extra week off.

These days are Tuesday, 29 April, Wednesday, 30 April and Friday, 2 May.

This decision comes after it was highlighted that holidays during the week can cause disruption to teaching and learning.

While this news might come as a surprise to many, the Department of Basic Education said the construction and finalising of the school calendar is done three years in advance to give the school and public enough time to plan.

Don’t have the ZO app? Download it to your Android or Apple device here: