The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has confirmed the official school calendar for 2021, following a tumultuous start to the year. A return to the classroom was delayed twice, but in just six days’ time, our learners will resume their studies.
The details, published earlier on Tuesday, will finally give parents clear dates and times to work with. The ‘back to school’ launch remains on track, and the DBE have expressed confidence in their ability to deliver on the promised timetable.
The first day back at school for our children will be on Monday, the 15th of February, and the first term of the academic year finishes on Friday, the 23rd of April. Children then return to the classroom, after a week off, on Monday, 3rd of May, and will continue their studies through to Friday, the 9th of July. Following a two-week break, school is back in session on Monday, the 26th of July, until Friday the 1st of October.
Learners will then get a week off, before going back for the final stretch of schooling. That starts on Monday, the 11th of October, and ends on Wednesday the 15th of December. The new school calendar for 2021 features a total of 192 school days, 40 weeks of classroom learning, and six public holidays to punctuate the next 10 months.
SCHOOL TIMETABLE FOR THIS YEAR: DAYS AT SCHOOL, PUBLIC HOLIDAYS, AND TERM-TIME DATES
| Duration | Number of weeks | Number of days | Number of public holidays | Actual number of school days |
| 15 Feb – 23 April | 10 | 50 | 3 | 47 |
| 3 May – 9 July | 10 | 50 | 1 | 49 |
| 26 July – 1 Oct | 10 | 50 | 2 | 48 |
| 11 Oct – 15 Dec | 10 | 48 | 0 | 48 |
| Total | 40 | 198 | 6 | 192 |