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The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has published proposed amendments to the School Calendar Policy aimed at strengthening national coherence, simplifying implementation, and ensuring a streamlined framework for determining school term dates across all nine provinces. The review modernises the existing policy by removing outdated provisions and aligning the calendar-planning process with current operational and curriculum-delivery imperatives.

The school calendar is a core planning instrument for the basic education sector. It establishes the annual structure for teaching and learning, stipulates the opening and closing dates of terms, and determines the length of school holidays. The revised policy sharpens this focus by removing unnecessary historical references and ensuring that the policy speaks directly to its technical purpose.

Summary of proposed amendments to the School Calendar Policy

• Removal of outdated contextual references
• The introduction is refined to focus solely on the purpose and function of the sch
• Deletion of the definition of “staggering”
• The concept of “staggering” (different opening/closing dates for inland vs coastal provinces) is removed, supporting a unified national school calendar.
• Discontinuation of traffic-flow–based scheduling
• All provisions linking holiday timing to national traffic-flow patterns are deleted; such logistical considerations will no longer drive calendar design.
• Removal of provincial school-day uniformity clause
• The clause requiring the same number of school days in all provinces is deleted; the standardised national calendar already ensures practical alignment.
• Phasing out of cluster-based calendar planning
• All clauses related to inland/coastal clusters, staggered opening or closure, and differentiated holiday lengths are removed, establishing a single national calendar for all provinces.
• Introduction of a new section: “Scheduling of School Terms”
• A new section replaces the cluster-based chapter, outlining principles for determining term dates within a unified national framework.
• Standardised January school opening date
• The policy proposes that all schools open in the third week of January, ensuring synchronisation and consistent system-wide curriculum rollout.
• Revised provisions on the first day of the school year
• The requirement for the school year to start on a Wednesday is retained; educators must report two days earlier. References linked to staggering and traffic management are removed to strengthen coherence.

Together, these amendments serve to streamline and modernise the School Calendar Policy, establishing a coherent national framework that strengthens planning, enhances operational efficiency, and promotes consistent implementation across the basic education sector.

The transition from cluster-based calendars to a unified national structure improves predictability and reinforces alignment for learners, educators, parents, and administrators alike. The Department therefore invites stakeholders and members of the public to review the proposed amendments and participate in the consultation process that will inform the finalisation of the policy.

Issued by Department of Basic Education