The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has gazetted new policy amendments for public comment that would permanently eliminate the long-standing distinction between coastal and inland school calendars in South Africa.
The move formally ends the staggered school calendar system that saw inland schools begin a week earlier than coastal schools – a practice originally introduced to accommodate holiday travel and allow educators additional preparation time.
However, the department says this differentiation has become unnecessary, particularly after the Covid-19 pandemic, which disrupted the school calendar nationwide and led to the introduction of a single, unified calendar for all provinces.
The DBE attempted to reinstate the staggered calendar in 2023, but returned to a unified start in 2024 and 2025. The newly gazetted policy now aims to make this permanent.
“All possible steps must be taken to avoid a late start to the school year – that is, in the fourth week of January – as this pushes back all the terms,” the department said.
“The focus is on ensuring there is no loss in the number of days allocated for schooling.”
Key policy changes
Under the current policy, inland schools include those in the Free State, Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North West, while coastal schools are in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Cape and Western Cape.
The proposed amendment removes this distinction entirely.
Previously, inland schools opened during the second week of January, while coastal schools opened during the third week.
Under the revised framework, all schools will open in the third week of January, following a standardised structure for terms and holidays.
The department said the change would help regularise and optimise the school year, especially in relation to public holidays and teaching time.
Public participation
The DBE has invited public comments on the proposed amendments. Submissions can be emailed to Mlambo.S@dbe.gov.za and Mkhize.ZM@dbe.gov.za.
In addition to the policy changes, the department has also gazetted the draft school calendar for 2028, which is open for public input.
South Africa’s school calendar is typically set several years in advance.
For instance, the 2025 calendar was gazetted in August 2022 and finalised in early 2023, while the 2026 and 2027 calendars were published for comment in October 2024 and approved earlier this year.
Broader education reform
Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube said the proposed change forms part of a broader effort to improve the structure and predictability of the academic year, ensuring teaching time is maximised and disruptions are minimised.
If approved, the new policy will take effect ahead of the next round of school calendar planning, bringing an end to a decades-old divide in the country’s education timetable.
