| 5.1 | Required number of school days per year |
| 5.1.1 | The calendar must provide for approximately 200 school days a year, as this is the optimum number of days for the completion of the education programme. |
| 5.1.2 | The number of school days must be the same in all provinces. |
| 5.2 | Number of school terms |
The school calendar for all public schools in South Africa consists of four terms.
| 5.3.1 | School terms must consist of no more than 60 and no fewer than 43 school days. |
| 5.3.2 | The length of terms may vary. |
| 5.3.3 | For educational reasons, it is desirable that the third term should be longer than the fourth term. |
| (a) | inland provinces must open during the second week of January; and |
| (b) | coastal provinces must open during the third week of January. |
| 5.3.5 | The fourth term must end at the first full school week of December. Educators must close two (2) school days later after the closure of schools for learners. |
| 5.4 | Duration of school holidays |
School holidays must provide learners and educators with sufficient opportunity to rest. At the same time, holidays must not be so long as to adversely affect learning retention.
| 5.4.1 | Holiday at end of first term |
Where the school calendar is a staggered calendar:
Coastal Cluster: one week
Inland Cluster: two weeks
| 5.4.2 | Holiday at end of second term |
Coastal Cluster: three weeks
Inland Cluster: three weeks
| 5.4.3 | Holiday at end of third term |
Coastal Cluster: one week
Inland Cluster: one week
| 5.4.4 | Holiday at end of fourth term |
Where the school calendar is a staggered calendar:
Coastal Cluster: five weeks
Inland Cluster: four weeks
| 5.5 | Days for administration and planning |
At the beginning of the year, educators must start work two days before the learners start school to finalise preparations for that school year. Similarly, at the end of the year, educators must stay on two days after the learners have left in order to complete administrative tasks and planning for the following school year.
| 5.6.1 | In regard to religious commemorations not provided for in schedule 1 of the Public Holidays Act, the principal of a school may exercise the right to recommend to the Head of Department that the school should close for religious commemorations of a particular faith, but only where the majority of learners are members of that particular faith. |
| 5.6.2 | Closure of schools for religious observance in terms of sub-paragraph 5.6.1 is subject to the following conditions: |
| (a) | A school may not close for religious observance on more than two days a year. |
| (b) | School governing bodies must decide very carefully how to use the two days a year allocated for religious observance. |
| (c) | The principal’s recommendation referred to in sub-paragraph 5.6.1 must give details with respect to the size (in percentage and numbers) of the religious majority in the school and the name(s) and date(s) of the religious commemoration(s) in question (for instance, Purim, or Diwali, or Eid). |
| (d) | Individual schools that close on religious grounds in terms of sub-paragraph 5.6.1 must ensure that the learners do not fall behind in their work as a result of the closure. |
5.6.3
| (a) | In regard to minority religious groups within a school community, the Constitution provides that they may not be disadvantaged or discriminated against in any way. To give effect to this constitutional prescript, members of world views or religions that form a minority of learners at a school may be given permission to take recognised religious days off from school. |
| (b) | In the case of learners of minority religious groups who do not attend school on such day(s), the entry in the register should clearly indicate that the learner is absent for religious reasons and that such absence is condoned. |
| (c) | Learners referred to in sub sub-paragraphs (a) and (b) should not be academically disadvantaged as a result of their absence. For example, assessments such as examinations or tests must not be administered on days on which such learners are absent. |
| (d) | To enable the school to plan adequately in regard to sub sub-paragraph (c), learners of minority religious groups who intend to take one or two days off from school must, within the first 10 days of a year, or on their arrival at a new school, inform the principal in writing of their intention to take such days for religious observance. |
| 5.7 | Sporting and cultural days |
| 5.7.1 | A maximum of two school days a year may be allocated to schools for the purpose of sporting and cultural activities. |
| 5.7.2 | The school governing body must decide very carefully how to use the two days a year. |
| 5.7.3 | The principal of a school must make a recommendation to the Head of Department to utilise such days for school-related sporting and cultural events. In regard to each school, district offices must keep records, to be sent to the relevant provincial education department once a year, which include— |
| (a) | the number of applications submitted for such days; |
| (b) | the reasons given for the applications; and |
| (c) | the number of applications granted. |
