School calendar: When does Term 1 end?

This is when Term 1 will end this March, leading to the start of the first school holidays, according to the school calendar for 2025.

Term 1 will be ending this month. Here’s what the school calendar says. Image: Pexels

The month of March marks the beginning of the count down to the end of the first term in the school calendar.

According to the school calendar by the Department of Basic Education, the first term has a total of 52 days.

Find out when the term will end and school holidays start.

WHEN DOES THE SCHOOL CALENDAR SAY TERM 1 WILL END?

The school year in 2025 kicked off on 15 January.

The calendar shows that Term 1 will be 11 weeks long, with 52 actual school days.

There will be one public holiday in this term – which is Human Rights Day on 21 March.

Learners will thus have a short week from 17-20 March leading up to the long weekend as 21 March falls on a Friday.

Schools will close the following Friday, 28 March.

The second term will start on Tuesday, 8 April.

The end of Term 1 is just weeks away, however, will schools be able to complete the curriculum planned for this term?

This seems highly unlikely for some provinces as factors such as inclement weather and placements are still an issue.

WILL RECENT INCLEMENT WEATHER AFFECT THE SCHOOL YEAR?

Many provinces in the country were battered by heavy rains which led to flooding in recent weeks. This led to schooling being halted, which could possibly affect the school calendar. This is due to the extensive damage some of these downpours have caused, including the tragic loss of numerous lives.

Bad weather isn’t the only hindrance affecting the school year though. Some learners have also reportedly still not been placed in schools, reported SABC NEWS on 25 February. According to the broadcaster, numerous learners have not been admitted to school in some areas in Limpopo.

“We applied for the child last year, but the application was rejected due to unavailability of space, we appealed in November last year at the department, and the child was placed at Piet Hugo. When we went to Piet Hugo they said there are no classes to accommodate our children.

“Until today, children are not in classrooms and what hurts the most is the treatment we are subjected to when we enquire about the admissions,” one parent told SABC NEWS.