PUBLIC SCHOOL OPENING DATES CONFIRMED
The Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, has announced the dates for when public schools will be able to open again.
This follows Cabinet’s decision to close all public schools for four weeks because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The closing of public schools was announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday the 23rd of July.
Schools were closed from Monday the 27th of July for four weeks.
Now, the Department has confirmed the reopening dates as grades will once again be phased in to combat the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
The following dates were Gazetted:
Grade 12 learners will return to school on the 3rd of August;
Grade 7 learners will be able to return on the 7th of August;
Grades R – 4; 6; and 9 to 11 will return on the 24th of August; and
Grades 5 and 8 will be the last to return on the 31st of August.
The school academic year for public schools will end much later than usual this year. The last day of school will be on the 15th of December for all grades – including Grade 12.
The new school year will commence on the 25th of January 2021.
This decision has been made in order to accommodate teachers and learners to get through all the academic work required for the year and the specific grades.
For those children who will not be returning to school due to reasons like anxiety, health or having a family member over the age of 60 living with them, alternative arrangements will have to be made. Parents or caregivers of these children will have to deregister their children from their public school and prove that they have enrolled them in a home schooling institution.
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