NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION 1038
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 25/03/2011
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 0/2011
Dr W G James (DA) to ask the Minister of Basic Education:
Why will schools in inland provinces start the 2012 academic year
earlier than schools in the coastal provinces (details furnished)?
NW1156E
RESPONSE
According to the School Calendar for 2012 schools in inland provinces
will open later than the schools in coastal provinces (see the
attached copy of the school calendar).
However, the drafting of the school calendar is guided by the National
Policy for Designing School Calendars for Ordinary Public Schools in
South Africa. The policy requires that consultations should be done
before a calendar is published. The Minister had invited the public to
comment on the then proposed school calendar for 2012. The Department
duly received and considered the comments that were made by the
public. Among those comments was a request to consider alternating the
date of opening of schools in January to give inland schools a chance
to open a week later. Since the policy is silent on the rotation of
provinces, the Department acceded to the request.