Eurydice

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.