Important school dates for 2017

Also see: 2017 SA's school holiday calendar 

January:

• Online registration open for the 2017 Senior Certificate (amended) exams – for adults who want to write matric – in Free State, Gauteng, Northern Cape and Mpumalanga. (Manual registration for all provinces closed 30 November last year.) Click here to register online. 

February:

• Supplementary NSC exams: 22 February – 30 March. Click here for the NSC supplementary exams timetable.
• 3 February: Closing date for entries for the SA Maths Olympiad (for grades 8 to 12). Click here to register and learn more.
• SA Dance School Championships Nationals, 28 February – 4 March in Centurion. For more info, click here.
• Old Mutual/Roedean School Water Polo Prestige Cup: Play-offs and finals take place on 18 February 2017 (for Gauteng schools). For more info, click here.

March: 

• Applications open for most universities for study in 2018. Closing dates vary per faculty and institution, some as early as 31 May, the latest ones 30 September. Click here for the contact details of South Africa’s 200+ tertiary institutions. 
  
• School admissions: The Department of Basic Education website states that admissions are generally taken between July and October. But in the Western Cape admissions close 24 March 2017. Ensure you check the dates of the schools you want to enrol your children in for 2018.
• SASA National Primary Schools Track & Field Championships are held 23-25 March in Potchefstroom, North West.
• SASA/LSEN National High Schools Track & Field Championships: 29 March to 01 April, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. Visit the SASA website for more information.
• 15 March: First round of the SA Maths Olympiad (for grades 8 to 12).

April: 

 
• Registration open for National Benchmark Tests for admission in 2018. Click here for the test dates and venues, and to book. Click here to learn more about the NBTs.
• 3 April 2017: Online registration closes for the 2017 Senior Certificate (amended).
• Wildeklawer School Rugby Tournament: 29 April and 1 May, Johannesburg. For more information, visit Rugby365.com. 
• SA Schools Swimming Championships: 9-13 April, Durban (tbc). Click here for more swimming dates.

May: 

• Mid-year exams start at schools for all grades. Your school will communicate the dates with you.
  
• Senior Certificate (amended) exams, 23 May – 4 July. Click here for the timetable.
• Check the closing date for university applications that apply to your child's choice of institution and faculty.
• 20 May: The final round of the National Eisteddfod Acadamy (NEA) Awards competition. To learn more about entry requirements and closing dates, click here.
• First round of the SA Maths Challenge (Grades 4 to 7): 8-12 May. This is written at your child's school. To learn more, click here.

June: 

• Mid-year exams for all grades continue.

July:

• Subject selection for Grade 9: Your child will soon have to formally make their decision. Spend the holidays discussing their career options.
• Primary Schools Netball Nationals: 28–29 July. For more netball events, click here.
• SA School rugby: LSEN Week, U16 and U18 National Girls Weeks, U13 Craven Week, U16 Grant Khomo Week, U18 Academy Week and U18 Craven Week: 3-21 July, various venues across the country. For specific dates and venues, click here.
• Final round of the SA Maths Challenge: 27 July.
• Standard Bank National Schools Festival: 10-14 July, Monument Theatre in Grahamstown. For more info, click here.

August:

• Preliminary exams for matrics. Every province sets their own dates, some may start in August. 
• The Eisteddfod season starts nationwide and continues till October. 
• Secondary Schools Netball Championships: 4–6 August.

September:

• Preliminary exams for matrics.
• Closing date for university applications for the very last faculties for study in 2018.
• SASA & LSEN National Cross Country Championships for primary and high schools: 29-30 September in Kimberley, Northern Cape. For more information, visit the SASA website.
• SA Dance School Championships Regionals, 6-9 September in Johannesburg, 18-23 September in Vaal Triangle, 16-29 October in Pretoria. For information, click here.

October: 

• Matrics start writing their NSC final examinations: 16, 17, 23 October – 28 November. To view the timetable, click here. 
• DBE Spelling Bee finals for grades 4 to 6.

November:

• Matrics finish writing their NSC final examinations with the last subjects on 28 November. 
  

December:

• All other school grades are writing their final exams.
• SA National Schools Debating Championships. For more information, visit the SANSDC Facebook page.
• SA Schools Water Polo Tournament.

* When more details are available around the Annual National Assessment (ANA) tests in schools, we will update the dates here.

 * SA School hockey dates will be added as soon as they become available.

Which dates did we miss? Help us out and send some important academic, cultural and sporting dates (national and provincial) to schools@parent24.com. Thanks!