By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Department of Basic Education (DBE) has confirmed that tomorrow, Monday, June 15, 2026, is a designated special school holiday for all public schools in South Africa.
The reminder comes as South Africa prepares to commemorate Youth Day, which honours the young people who took part in the 1976 Soweto uprising and remains one of the country’s most significant public holidays.
“In a statement, department said it wishes to remind parents, guardians, learners, educators, and all education stakeholders that Monday, 15 June 2026, has been designated as a special school holiday in terms of the approved 2026 school calendar”.
“Teaching and learning activities will therefore resume on Wednesday, 17 June 2026.”
The statement added: “As the country marks this important milestone in its history, learners, educators, and school communities are encouraged to commemorate the occasion safely and responsibly.”
Schools are scheduled to remain open until Friday, June 26, 2026, before learners break for the June-July holidays.
The winter break runs for about 3 weeks, till pupils are set to return for term 3 on Tuesday, 21 July 2026.
Term 3 will run until Wednesday, 23 September 2026, when schools will close again for the September school holidays.
The third term will also include a short break for National Women’s Day, with public holidays observed on 9 and 10 August 2026, falling within the school term period before the final stretch toward end of the term.
Meanwhile Guateng MEC for education, Lebogang Maile, said schools across the province have recorded more than 4 600 violent incidents and over 4 100 cases of vandalism in the past five years.
Maile provided a detailed overview of violence and crimes recorded in Gauteng schools, said nearly 400 cases of sexual misconduct and around 1,400 search-and-seizure operations were also recorded over the same period.
“The data reveals persistent school safety challenges across Gauteng, Violence, vandalism, substance-related incidents, and learner misconduct remain significant challenges.”
Maile added that the high crime levels in the province were mirrored schools
The South African Police Service (SAPS) crime statistics for the fourth quarter of the 2025/2026 financial year revealed 13 reported rape incidents on Educational institutions— including universities, schools, and day care facilities across Gauteng, highlighting ongoing safety concerns within educational environments.
Maile added that CCTV systems had been installed in more than 600 schools across the province.
“CCTV systems have been installed as part of efforts to strengthen monitoring, improve incident detection, and support a preventative approach to school safety,” he explained.
The initiative is being supported through partnerships such as the Vodacom School Safety Project, which provides additional surveillance and monitoring tools in selected schools.