{"id":3027,"date":"2025-04-16T12:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-16T10:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/?p=3027"},"modified":"2026-03-12T10:42:20","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T08:42:20","slug":"special-week-off-for-south-african-pupils-in-april-may-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/special-week-off-for-south-african-pupils-in-april-may-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Special Week Off for South African Pupils in April\/May 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">South African learners and teachers are set to enjoy an extended break as the Department of Basic Education (DBE) officially confirms a &#8220;special&#8221; school holiday week in the 2025 school calendar. This comes as part of a well-timed alignment of public holidays following the Easter long weekend, granting both pupils and educators a much-needed breather before resuming the busy second term.<\/p><div id=\"gaute-3977089055\" class=\"gaute-after-paragraph-1 gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">ALSO READ: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/get-a-smart-id-and-passport-at-your-bank\/\">Get A Smart ID and Passport At Your Bank<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-a-surprise-break-in-the-school-year-for-south-african-pupils\">A Surprise Break in the School Year For South African Pupils <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The DBE has confirmed that after schools return from the Easter break on <strong>Tuesday, April 22<\/strong>, they will be in session only for a few days until <strong>Friday, April 25<\/strong>. From <strong>Monday, April 28, to Friday, May 2<\/strong>, schools will close again, thanks to a combination of public holidays and special school holidays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The extended break is due to a unique alignment of dates:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>April 27 (Freedom Day)<\/strong> falls on a <strong>Sunday<\/strong> in 2025, and its observance will be moved to <strong>Monday, April 28<\/strong>, which will then be a public holiday.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>April 29 and 30<\/strong> have been declared special school holidays.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>May 1 (Workers&#8217; Day)<\/strong> is also a public holiday.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>As a result, the entire week from April 28 to May 2 becomes a <strong>week-long school break<\/strong>, with learners and teachers expected to return on <strong>Monday, May 5, 2025<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This will boost morale among South African pupils and educators, offering an opportunity to recharge before tackling the rest of Term 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-breakdown-of-the-2025-school-calendar\">Breakdown of the 2025 School Calendar<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 2025 school calendar includes <strong>27 school holidays<\/strong>, which is a slight increase from the 25 holidays in 2024, although fewer than the 32 holidays in 2023 and 33 in 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here is the structure for public schools:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-first-term\">First Term<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Starts:<\/strong> 15 January 2025<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ends:<\/strong> 28 March 2025<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Public holiday:<\/strong> 21 March \u2013 Human Rights Day<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>School holidays:<\/strong> 29 March \u2013 7 April<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-second-term\">Second Term <\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Starts:<\/strong> 8 April 2025<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ends:<\/strong> 17 June 2025<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Public holidays:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>18 April \u2013 Good Friday<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>21 April \u2013 Family Day<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>27 April \u2013 Freedom Day (observed on 28 April)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1 May \u2013 Workers&#8217; Day<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>16 June \u2013 Youth Day<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Special school holidays:<\/strong> 29 April \u2013 2 May<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Mid-year break:<\/strong> 27 June \u2013 21 July<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-third-term\">Third Term <\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Starts:<\/strong> 22 July 2025<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ends:<\/strong> 3 October 2025<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Public holidays:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>9 August \u2013 National Women\u2019s Day<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>24 September \u2013 Heritage Day<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>School holidays:<\/strong> 6 \u2013 10 October<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-fourth-term\">Fourth Term<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Starts:<\/strong> 13 October 2025<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ends:<\/strong> 10 December 2025<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Administration days:<\/strong> 11 \u2013 12 December<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-about-independent-schools\">What About Independent Schools?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa (ISASA) has confirmed that <strong>independent schools will have a slightly different calendar<\/strong>, with the school year starting on <strong>15 January 2025<\/strong> and ending on <strong>3 December 2025<\/strong>, resulting in <strong>fewer school days<\/strong> compared to public schools. Independent schools may have some flexibility in how they implement the special holiday week, but they are expected to align with the DBE calendar for consistency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-the-special-week-matters-for-south-african-pupils\">Why the Special Week Matters For South African Pupils <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While some may see the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.iol.co.za\/lifestyle\/family\/parenting\/south-african-pupils-granted-special-holiday-week-in-2025-school-calendar-this-aprilmay-c18e1e71-cbf0-441d-b92e-50fdd6e5d6f5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> extra week off <\/a>as a disruption to academic flow, many educators and parents see it as an opportunity for rest, family time, and mental well-being. The second term often brings academic pressure and winter illnesses, and a mid-term breather could go a long way in improving learner focus and teacher preparedness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The inclusion of a &#8220;special&#8221; holiday week in the 2025 South African school calendar is a welcome surprise for pupils and educators alike. This rare alignment of public and special holidays provides a valuable pause in an otherwise packed academic schedule. As schools prepare for the months ahead, this unexpected break may just be what\u2019s needed to refresh and reset for a successful academic year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stay informed and keep track of school holidays and term dates to ensure your child stays on top of their education journey.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>South African learners and teachers are set to enjoy an extended break as the Department of Basic Education (DBE) officially confirms a &#8220;special&#8221; school holiday week in the 2025 school calendar. This comes as part of a well-timed alignment of public holidays following the Easter long weekend, granting both pupils and educators a much-needed breather<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":3033,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_focus_keyword":"","rank_math_title":"","rank_math_description":"South African learners and teachers are set to enjoy an extended break as the Department of Basic Education (DBE) officially confirms a \"special\" school...","footnotes":""},"categories":[70],"tags":[214,162],"ppma_author":[11575],"class_list":["post-3027","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-schools","tag-department-of-basic-education","tag-schools-in-gauteng"],"authors":[{"term_id":11575,"user_id":23,"is_guest":0,"slug":"nomthandazo","display_name":"Nomthandazo Ntisa","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ec3262463e8ed5ea26dca074ed7eff95ffede057639be73a77f7896ccd06170f?s=96&r=g","author_category":"1","first_name":"Nomthandazo","last_name":"Ntisa","user_url":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/","job_title":"Content Editor","description":"Nomthandazo Ntisa is a journalist and Content Editor at What's On G with more than six years of experience in journalism, digital publishing, and content strategy. She covers the people, places, events, and issues shaping Gauteng \u2014 producing stories that help readers understand and connect with life across the province."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3027","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3027"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3027\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3033"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3027"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3027"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3027"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=3027"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}