The Department of Basic Education has announced that a staggered calendar will be followed for schools opening in 2022.

Pupils in the inland provinces of Gauteng, Free State, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and North West will be the first to go back to school on Wednesday, 12 January 2022.

While learners in the coastal provinces of KwaZulu-Natal,  Eastern Cape, Western Cape and Northern Cape will return exactly a week later on 19 January.

Spokesperson for the department, Elijah Mhlanga says the difference in dates is aimed at accommodating people who may have travelled during the holidays.

“The school year 2022 we have a staggered calendar, not all provinces are going to open at the same time. We have inland provinces that are going to go first on the 12th of January to open schools. And the provinces along the coastline will open schools on the 19th of January and here we are talking about KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Western Cape, and Northern Cape. And those are going to be opening on the 19th. And the rest of the provinces will open on the 12th, that is Mpumalanga, Gauteng, North-West, Free State, and Limpopo.”