By: Justicia Shipena
The education ministry, on Thursday, announced that it has shortened the mid-year holiday for the second semester.
The change came upon the ministry amending its 2022 academic calendar.
“The mid-year holiday is shortened by one week,” said education director Sanet Steenkamp.
The ministry said the second semester for teachers will now open on 15 July, while learners will begin on 18 July.
“Hostel staff on Saturday, 16 July and hostel learners on Sunday, 17 July,” it said.
Steenkamp said the mid-term break of the second semester is moved to the first week of October.
“This is 3 October to 7 October,” she said.
The ministry also said the International Teachers’ Day falls on 5 October.
However, the home weekend for hostel learners is moved to 4 November.
This year, the schools are expected to close earlier as in the past two years, the global pandemic disrupted the school calendar.
“The last school day of the 2022 academic year is 7 December for learners and 9 December for teachers and hostel staff.”
Steenkamp said the amendments were effected keeping in mind the national external examinations are to be
concluded in November.
She thus said the results for the external exams are to be released in mid-January 2023.
“This also enables all teachers and learners to end the academic year at the same time,” she said.
In November last year, the ministry said it would give directives on how progress reports for the academic year of 2022 will be adjusted.
This was due to the ministry announcing that the Covid-19 pandemic changed the 2022 school calendar to two semesters.
At that time, Steenkamp had told The Villager that the change avoids a spike in novel coronavirus cases during the winter season.
According to the previous calendar, the first semester commenced on 09 January 2022, and the second semester was to start on 25 July 2022.
Steenkamp had also said the change in the school calendar does not affect the number of school days and the December holiday.
“This will be the last year. The schools will be closing far out in December,” she had said.
Steenkamp had added that there would only be one break for the first six months of the year, and then there would be a six-week school holiday.
Previously, she said they had taken note of all the test series and administrative issues in the classroom.
Speaking on the number of school days, Steenkamp had said the school must have 195 teaching days, and it is being covered in the calendar.
“And that is the same with the hostels days which is about 265 days, and there are not affected on the new calendar. The public holidays are also incorporated as well as midterm breaks.”
She added that the new calendar requires a mindset change.
Previously, Namibia’s school calendar had three semesters for the academic year.
