Eating you out of house and home: Here’s when the kids go back to school
· Citizen
Public school pupils across South Africa are nearing the end of their winter holiday, with just days left before classrooms reopen for the third term.
According to the Department of Basic Education (DBE) school calendar, the second term ended on Friday, 26 June, giving pupils a break of just over three weeks before returning to school.
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When do schools reopen?
Public schools will reopen for Term 3 on Tuesday, 21 July. The term will run until Wednesday, 23 September.
That means pupils still have about a week of the winter school holiday remaining before returning to class.
The third term spans 10 weeks and includes 47 calendar school days, with one public holiday reducing the actual number of school days to 46.
One public holiday during Term 3
The only public holiday during the third term is Heritage Day on 24 September, which falls immediately after schools close for the term.
The school calendar also confirms that the fourth and final term of the year will begin on Tuesday, 6 October.
The academic year will end on Wednesday, 9 December.
2026 school calendar
Here’s the 2026 school calendar to help parents stay ahead.
FIRST TERM:
- Schools start: 14 January 2026
- Schools close: 27 March 2026
- School holidays: 28 March to 7 April 2026
SECOND TERM:
- Schools start: 8 April 2026
- Schools close: 26 June 2026
- Public holidays: Freedom Day (27 April 2026), Workers’ Day (1 May 2026), Youth Day (16 June 2026)
- Special school holidays: 15 June 2026
- School holidays: 27 June to 20 July 2026
THIRD TERM:
- School start: 21 July 2026
- School closes: 23 September 2026
- Public holidays: National Women’s Day (9 and 10 August 2026)
- School holidays: 24 September to 5 October 2026
FOURTH TERM:
- School start: 6 October 2026
- School closes: 9 December 2026
- Public holidays: Day of Reconciliation (16 December 2026), Christmas Day (25 December 2026), Day of Goodwill (26 December 2026)