According to some expectations, holidays and/or shifts in holiday datesadays an age-old question put to parents and learners alike-will they be longer or changed again? Here is practically what we are assured of from legal publication of timetable with literal traditions.
Important Dates of October 2025
According to official print, the 2025 calendar hasTerm 3 ending on the 3rd of October, 2025.Term 4 commencing on the 13th of October, while Directly in the middle is spring break or the third-term holidays from the 6th to the 10th of October, meaning there is a working week breakup of about five days in October placed between two terms. And on the 10th of October, kids are back in Term 4 for the entirety of the activities planned until the 10th of December, 2025.
Are There Extended Holidays?
Nothing official yet is announced for any extended holidays aside from what has already been put in the calendar. The holidays in early October are assuredly known as the regular term break.However, a few caveats might be worth mentioning:
- Special School Holidays: At times, the Department issues special school holidays (for example, in line with public holidays or administrative purposes). For instance, a special school holiday was declared in 2025 for the late April to early May period.
- Local Adjustments: Some schools or districts will make slight calendar adjustments, mostly on account of teacher professional development days, examination timetables, and local events. These announcements occur locally.
- No New Breaks Confirmed: Nothing after 10 October was added toward the latest update of the mid-October calendar!
So, rumour mills or choice schools might be exercising measures considered divergent, but as of now, there is nothing in the national calendar to support an extended-long October break.
What parents and children should do
- Check at the school: Some independent or private schools may keep fairly distant calendars. One could check in with the child’s school to find out if there may be any internal changes made in the school calendar.
- Keeping in mind about the break holidays: These are schedule days for holidays between the 6th and the 10th of October, straddling Term 3 and Term 4.
- Keep an eye out for official announcements: A special holiday may, of course, be declared between now and then (owing to extraordinary circumstances, by decrees of a district, or whatever), and then ordinarily an advisory would be put out to the schools.
- Prepare for Term 4: Since Term 4 starts on October 13 without any more holidays in the middle, it is best that the learners start adjusting the assignment schedules, study schedules, or catch-up work.
- Check on additional public holidays: There are no major public holidays in October that fall on term days and hence basically affecting this break period.
Why This Calendar?
The way the academic year is constituted in South Africa is divided into four separate terms starting in the early teaching period and finishing with holidays. Hence, this October holiday is a natural rhythm giving a brief respite for the children during their off.When the calendar was announced, the Department of Basic Education noted the importance of minimizing disruptions and ensuring that term lengths are consistent.
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