School calendar: When do schools open for Term 4?
· The South African
Public schools across South Africa will reopen for Term 4 on Tuesday, 6 October, according to the Department of Basic Education’s official 2026 school calendar.
Pupils have been on holiday since Term 3 closed on 23 September. The spring break gives families just under two weeks at home before the final stretch of the school year begins.
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The date applies to all public schools nationwide, as all nine provinces follow one unified school calendar.
SCHOOL CALENDAR: HOW LONG WILL TERM 4 RUN
Term 4 runs for ten weeks, from 6 October to 9 December, and includes 47 school days.
No public holidays fall during the term, so pupils face ten straight weeks of teaching and assessment.
Schools use this term to finish the curriculum, write final exams, and decide which pupils progress to the next grade. Grade 12 pupils also write their National Senior Certificate exams during this period.
Pupils already enjoyed an extra day off before the break even started. Heritage Day fell on Thursday, 24 September, the day after schools closed.
HOW THE 2026 SCHOOL YEAR STACKS UP
Term 4 is the last of four terms in the 2026 academic year.
Term 1 had 53 school days, Term 2 had 54, and Term 3 had 47. The Department structured the calendar to keep the four terms relatively even, with around 200 official school days across the year.
The calendar also separates school days from other non-teaching days, including weekends, administration days, public holidays and special school holidays.
WHAT PARENTS SHOULD NOTE BEFORE SCHOOLS OPEN
Parents planning trips, medical appointments or other commitments should work from the confirmed 6 October return date. School calendars shift slightly from year to year depending on how public holidays fall, so last year’s dates are not a reliable guide.
With final exams ahead, the remaining holiday days are a good time to check report cards, set study timetables and sort out uniforms and school supplies.
Families with children at independent schools should confirm dates directly with their school, as private schools may follow a different calendar.