School calendars in Europe
This tool gives an overview on the start of the school year, the timing and length of school holidays, as well as on the decision-making level. Its two main objectives are to provide a better understanding of students' school rhythms in Europe and to facilitate the organisation of transnational activities and exchanges at school level in Europe.
It covers the 37 European countries, members of the Eurydice network.
Data cover primary and general secondary education, in accordance with the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED 2011).
Information is presented under the 2 tabs below:
- Calendar view
- Comparative information.
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For more information:
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Austria
The top-level authority for the beginning of the school year and the holiday periods is the Land.
Belgium (German-speaking Community)
The end of the summer holidays is an estimation.
Bulgaria
For basic schools (ISCED 1-24), the duration of the school year depends on the educational program: it is shorter for students in grades 1-3 compared to those in grades 4-6.
Croatia
The end of the summer holidays is an estimation.
Denmark
For basic schools (ISCED 1-24), local authorities decide on the beginning of the school year and the holiday periods. For upper secondary schools (ISCED 34), decisions are taken at school level. The information provided here is based on a random sample of 10 basic schools and 10 upper secondary schools.
The end of the summer holidays is an estimation for ISCED 34.
Estonia
School holidays are decided by the top-level authority. However, the school head may suggest other dates to the board of trustees, provided the school year has at least 4 holiday periods for a total duration of at least 12 weeks, and the summer holidays last at least 8 weeks.
Finland
Education providers – most often a municipality, but it can also be a joint municipal authority, a private organisation, or the state – have full autonomy to decide on the beginning of the school year and the holiday periods. They may delegate these decisions to the schools. The ending date of the school year and the number of school days are regulated by the top-level authority.
The end of the summer holidays is an estimation.
France
The school calendar is determined for a 3-year period by the top-level authority. The Head of regional ministerial representation (recteur d'académie) can adapt it to fit specific needs related to the geographical location – for instance in Guadeloupe, Guyane, Martinique, Mayotte and La Réunion – the nature of courses offered by the school, or difficulties to organise the public education service. Such changes may not exceed 3 consecutive days, nor reduce the duration of a holiday period to less than 8 days. Zone A corresponds to Besançon, Bordeaux, Clermont-Ferrand, Dijon, Grenoble, Limoges, Lyon, Poitiers; Zone B to Aix-Marseille, Amiens, Lille, Nancy-Metz, Nantes, Nice, Normandie, Orléans-Tours, Reims, Rennes, Strasbourg; and Zone C to Créteil, Montpellier, Paris, Toulouse, Versailles.
Germany
The top-level authority for the beginning of the school year and the holiday periods is the Land.
Greece
An extra day is granted to schools on the Saint's day of their region, as long as this day is celebrated on a school day.
Iceland
In basic education (ISCED 1-24), municipalities are responsible for the organisation of the school year. They should however take into consideration the Act on Compulsory Schools that defines the minimum number of days students should attend school (180 days). This central regulation delegates the allocation of time between teaching days and other school days to the school leadership. However, the decision is usually taken at municipal level to ensure consistency. Municipalities are also bound by the collective wage agreements, which stipulate that the school year should not start before 20 August and should not end after 10 June. The information on basic education (ISCED 1-24) provided here is based on the guidelines set for Reykjavík, the largest city of the country.
Upper secondary schools (ISCED 34) schools are managed by the top-level authority, but have more autonomy. The school leadership decides on the dates of the school year (between 18 August and 31 May) and the allocation of students 180 annual school days between teaching and assessment periods.
Italy
The provinces decide on the beginning of the school year. Holiday periods may be established both at regional (e.g. Christmas and Easter holidays) and school level (e.g. Patron's day of the town). Schools may adapt their school calendars to the requirements of their 3-year plan for educational offer (PTOF), provided they ensure a minimum number of days for teaching regulated at central level (200 days for a 6-day week, proportionally less for a 5-day week).
Latvia
The top-level authority decides on the dates for the beginning of the school year and the holiday periods. However, schools have autonomy to set an additional week of holidays for students in Grade 1 and to organise additional holidays in the second semester.
Lithuania
The start of the school year is set centrally but may vary across schools, which can – in agreement with the municipality or other owner – move the date to 2 September.
Malta
The end of the summer holidays is an estimation.
Netherlands
Holiday periods are decided by the top-level authority. However, the periods for autumn and spring holidays are only recommended. Schools are free to adapt them depending on their own circumstances (i.e. carnival or religious reasons). Most schools apply the central recommendations.
Norway
At ISCED level 1-24, the municipalities regulate the start of the school year and the holiday periods.
At ISCED level 34, the counties regulate the start of the school year and the holiday periods.
Both municipalities and counties should consider the guidelines of the Education Act (at least 38 school weeks within 45 consecutive weeks) and the administration of national tests.
The end of the summer holidays is an estimation.
Portugal
Schools are free to decide on the date for the beginning of the school year within the period fixed by the ministry.
For holiday periods, the ministry issues the dates, but schools have some autonomy to adapt them. They may use up to 2 days of the third break to define an additional holiday period. They may also organise the school year in semesters and revise the holiday periods, provided their students have the same number of holiday days than the others.
Romania
Holiday periods are decided centrally. However, the dates for the one-week ski holidays are decided by the county school inspectorates and Bucharest school inspectorates.
Serbia
The Autonomous Province of Vojvodina (regional authority) is responsible for deciding on the school year calendar in Vojvodina.
Spain
Most of the autonomous communities establish the beginning of the school year and the dates of the holiday periods. However:
- In Region of Murcia, the municipalities establish the beginning of the school year and the holiday periods.
- In Andalucía, each provincial direction decides on the beginning of the school year and the holiday periods.
- In the autonomous communities of Navarra and País Vasco, schools are free to establish their own calendar considering the periods established by the educational authorities.
In addition, all municipalities and schools have so-called 'free disposal days' that they can allocate according to their needs, provided the school year entails at least 175 teaching days.
The end of the summer holidays is an estimation.
Sweden
Some holiday periods are regulated by the top-level authority (e.g.: autumn holidays/reading break). However, most dates vary depending on the municipalities and the local levels. Central regulations state that the school year should start in August and end in June and that it should consist of at least 178 school days and 12 vacation days. The information provided here is therefore only indicative.
The end of the summer holidays is an estimation.
Switzerland
The cantons usually decide of the dates for the beginning of the school year and the holiday periods. However, some of these decisions may be taken at local level:
- In Zürich, the canton decides on the beginning of the year and the dates for Christmas holidays but only provide recommendations for other holidays; exact dates are set at local level.
- In some cantons, the local authorities decide on the dates for sport holidays (in Aargau, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Bern and Sankt Gallen).
- In Graubünden, sport and spring holidays, as well as the start of summer holidays are decided at local level.
In Schwitz, schools have the possibility to add one more week(s) to sport and summer holidays.
Türkiye
The end of the summer holidays is an estimation.
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1. Glossary
School year and holiday periods
Beginning of the school year
The period from the first official day of school (it may not necessarily be the first day of instruction), as defined in official/steering documents.
End of the school year
The last day when students are required to be present at school, usually before the summer holiday break. In the last grade of a cycle, students may end the school year at a different date than students in other grades of the same cycle. These specific dates are not considered here.
Holiday period
A holiday period consists of days when students are not required to be present at school (compared to the usual school week). This includes public holidays. No distinction is made between school holidays and public holidays. Moreover, public holiday that falls during a weekend is not considered as a holiday. The definition of weekends varies across countries. They often refer to Saturday and Sunday but, in some countries, they may be limited to Sunday. The weekend following the last day of the holiday period is considered as part of the holiday period if the holiday period ends on the last school day of the week.
Decision-making levels
Top-level authority
It refers to all government bodies at the national (state) level that make or participate in different aspects of decision-making. In 'federal' countries, or countries with a similar type of government structure, they refer to the first level of territorial authority immediately below the national level. The highest level of authority with responsibility for education in a given country is usually located at the national (state) level. However, for Belgium, Germany and Spain, the communautés , Länder and comunidades autónomas, respectively, are responsible for all or most areas relating to education. Therefore, these administrations are considered the top-level authority for the areas where they hold the responsibility, while for the areas where they share the responsibility with the national (state) level, both are considered to be top-level authorities.
Provincial/regional authorities
These refer to the first level of territorial authority immediately below the national level in countries that do not have a 'federal' or similar type of governmental structure, and they refer to the second level of territorial authority below the national government in countries with a 'federal' or similar type of governmental structure.
Local authorities
These refer to the lowest level of territorial authority in a nation. The local authority in terms of education may be the education department within a general-purpose local government or a special-purpose local government body where the sole area of responsibility is education.
School authorities
These refer to the decision-making bodies located within the school, which could be: (1) an external school board, which includes residents of the wider community; (2) an internal school board, which could include school heads, teachers, other school staff, parents and students; and (3) both an external and an internal school board. 'School networks', 'networks of schools', 'didactic circles' and 'groups of schools' or 'school clusters' are considered as school-level authorities.
2. International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED 2011)
This data collection covers primary and general (lower and upper) secondary education. The definitions used are those set down in the 2011 International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED).
Primary education (ISCED 1)
Programmes at this level are typically designed to provide students with fundamental skills in reading, writing and mathematics (i.e. literacy and numeracy), and to establish a solid foundation for the learning and understanding of core areas of knowledge in preparation for lower secondary education. They also seek to promote children's personal and social development. Age is typically the only entry requirement at this level. The customary or legal age of entry is usually between 5 and 7 years old. This level typically lasts 6 years, although its duration can range between 4 and 7 years, depending on the country.
General lower secondary education (ISCED 24)
Programmes at the lower-secondary level (ISCED 2) are typically designed to build on the learning outcomes from ISCED level 1. Students typically enter this level between the ages of 10 and 13 (age 12 being the most common). The ISCED designator 24 denotes general lower secondary education.
General upper secondary education (ISCED 34)
Programmes at the upper secondary level (ISCED 3) are typically designed to complete secondary education in preparation for tertiary education or to provide skills relevant to employment, or both. Pupils typically enter this level between the ages of 14 and 16 years. The ISCED designator 34 denotes general upper secondary education.
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Catalogue number: EC-01-24-001-EN-Q
ISBN 978-92-9488-763-4
ISSN 2443-5309
doi:10.2797/5284368
© European Commission, 2024.