The Sunday News
Vusumuzi Dube, Senior Reporter
THE Government has warned private schools against coming up with their own school calendar saying this could result in their de-registration.
Private schools, under the Association of Trust Schools had proposed to Government to have a different school calendar from the one announced by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education last week.
The schools wanted the first term to end on 31 March and the second term to start on 3 May.
However, in a statement, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Mrs Tumisang Thabela said all schools were expected to adhere to the school calendar announced by the Government.
She said according to the law only the permanent secretary had the powers to determine the school calendar.
“For ease of reference, pursuant to a Cabinet decision announced on 2 March, all schools will open on 15 March for examination classes and 22 March for non-examination classes. The first term will run until 4 June and the second term will begin on 28 June and close on 10 September while the third term will begin on 4 October through to 17 December.
“All well meaning public and private schools, including ATS schools, should therefore abide by the Ministry’s 2021 calendar. Any deviation from the school calendar announced, will attract censorship with the sternest penalty being de-registration of the deviant school,” said Mrs Thabela.
Some private schools have already told parents and guardians that they will close on 31 March while others have advised that pupils will continue with online lessons until the end of the school term at the end of this month.
