Off Topic School times & Summer Break

[COz]

I'm curious about different countries school systems.

In Australia, most (possibly all now) states have:
4 school terms a year
2 weeks break between terms
Holidays from mid- to late-December for about 6 weeks.
a few random public holidays thrown in through the year
School days generally start 8:30-9ish and go until 3ish for the younger children and maybe 3:30 or 4pm for the older (I think) depending on the school.
Government and non-government funded schools may vary their holidays a bit so they might be a week out of sync. I have no idea why.

How does this compare to your schools?

 

[Aussie_coach]

Well I am in Australia too, so the same as you state. 40 weeks of school each year.

But our kids never finish as late as 3:30-4:00 in my state. School generally goes from 9-3, for all year levels here,

 

[Faolmor]

We used to go 8.30 - 3.30 in WA (Australia, not Washington state). I think here in Tas they go 9am till 3.15pm? Something like that. We homeschool so we just do what we like LOL

 

[Iwannabemargo]

UK

Primary Ages 4-11
Secondary Ages 11-16
6th Form Ages 16-18 (non-compulsory)

Primary school day is 8.55 - 3.20
Secondary 8.30- 3.00
6th form 9.00 - 4.00 But not all periods have to be attended, maybe 75% are filled with classes

3 Terms, 40 weeks in total

Autumn 5th September ish to 16th December ish, 1 week half term holiday, 2 weeks for Christmas
Spring Term Jan 6th ish to Easter - a movable feast but usually April, 1 Week Half term, 2 weeks for Easter
Summer Term April - 26th ish July, 1 Week for Whitsun (last week in May), 6 Weeks summer hol

 

[cbifoja]

USA

School starts in early August. Young (elementary school) kids begin before 8 a.m. and go until 2:30 p.m. Older kids (middle and high school) kids start at 8:30 and go until 3:30.

We get fall break for a week in early October, two Weeks off for winter holiday in late December, and another week off in April for spring beak.

We end school in late May/early June depending on how many days we missed for snow.

We also miss a day here and there for federal holidays, elections, and teacher work days.

 

[COz]

Why do the younger children start earlier?

 

[kaloss]

I think the US is pretty varied. Here, school starts the day after Labor Day (early September), 2 weeks off around Christmas, one week spring break in March/April and end in Mid June for summer break. Our elementary schools start at different times. About half of our elementary schools go 7:20-2:20 and the others go from 9:05-3:25. We have several schools that are Pre-k -8th grade and several that are pre-k -5th. I don't know of that has anything to do with the hours

 

[cbifoja]

Why do the younger children start earlier?

We only have so many buses and drivers so we have to stagger start time. the school board decided an early start time would be easier for the littles rather than the teenagers.

 

[2gymnastand1soccerplayer]

We're moving back to Canada in a few weeks, and school starts end of August. Elementary school starts at 8:10 and goes until 2:15, and high school starts at 8:00 and goes until 2:30. There's a 4 day thanksgiving break, 2 week Christmas break, as well as a 1 week march break, and a 4 day Easter break, also those random holidays mixed in through out the year. Elementary school is 3 terms I think , and high school is 2 semesters. I can't speak for every province in Canada or English school, because my kids are going to a French school. But from what schools we've looked at this seemed to be the norm in our area.

 

[OzZee]

Has Tasmania moved over to 4 terms?

NSW So yep we are the same term and holiday wise.
Public school days - primary - 9-3 and high school 8.40-3ish. (dependant on school and most seem to have 1 early finish day. )

Private schools around here (sydney) have extra holidays, generally a week at most holidays bar the first ones. But they have longer days to compensate.

I'm curious about different countries school systems.

In Australia, most (possibly all now) states have:
4 school terms a year
2 weeks break between terms
Holidays from mid- to late-December for about 6 weeks.
a few random public holidays thrown in through the year
School days generally start 8:30-9ish and go until 3ish for the younger children and maybe 3:30 or 4pm for the older (I think) depending on the school.
Government and non-government funded schools may vary their holidays a bit so they might be a week out of sync. I have no idea why.

How does this compare to your schools?

 

[Mom2Chickadee]

In Canada (English schools in our province), the kids start early September and finish off the year in late June. Their day (at least elementary) starts between 8:00am to 9:00 am and theirfinishes between 2:30 and 3:30, depending on what time they started. There are random holidays throughout the year (Thanksgiving, Easter, Victoria Day, etc) , 2 weeks at Christmas and 1 week for March break.

 

[emilykatherine]

In the USA states are split by county and depending on where you live you go to a certain school in that county.

In my county you have elementary school that go from 7:15- 2:15

Middle school goes 7:55-2:55

High school 8:05-3:05

We are on a year round schedule meaning we normally get 2 week for fall winter and spring break and 2 months off in the summer but this year we only get 1 week for spring break.

School starts for me august first but I know my cousins go till towards the end if June and don't go back till September

 

[Redford]

Germany

It varies from state to state, especially the summer break to relax the situation on the roads a bit.

• We have a 6 week summer break July/August/September
• 1 week in fall
• 2/3 weeks after christmas
• in my state 1 week for Carnival
• 1/2 weeks for Easter
• 2 weeks for Whitsun

I can't remember Primary school but High school starts at 7:50 and ends at 1:00 to 5:00 depending on day and grade.
The day is rare when there is no teacher missing, so there tends to be a gap at some point of the day.

 

[flips123]

USA
We start the day after labor day in my area and get the same breaks as everyone from the USA has previously stated. Here, the high school and middle school start earlier than the elementary school so the older siblings can be home after school to watch the young ones. My school district operates on trimesters.
Elementary School: 8:20- 3:25 or 8:30-3:35 (depending on the school)
Middle/ High School: 7:45- 2:25

 

[Teezi]

Canada

My middle school started at 8:45am and went until 2:56pm. We get two weeks off around Christmas and two weeks off for summer break. And then we finish at the end of June. We start usually September 4

Now my high school starts at 9:00am and ends around 3:00pm. It has the same breaks and also weeks for finals off.

And then we have a bunch of random holidays and pro-d days off

 

[Dr Maleficent]

France: primary school (6-11) day goes from 08:30 to 4:15 at my kids school - some schools don't have wednesday classes, and none have any classes on wednesday afternoons.
School ends for summer on around the 3rd July and goes back on the 4th September
There are 4 holidays each of 2 weeks:
end Oct
Christmas
end Feb
end April
So there are 36 weeks of school.

 

[raenndrops]

There are 3 school districts that attend our gym... and they are all on different schedules.
OUR district is a "Single Bussing" district. Our high school, middle school, and elementary school are all in the same general area (the land for all 3 touch but they are all on different roads).
High School - 7:40 am-2:40 pm
Middle School - 7:50am - 2:50 pm
Elementary - 8:00 am - 3:00 pm
School year starts Aug 19.
Off Aug 27- Sept. 1 (Fair)
Off Oct. 17
Off Nov Nov. 26-28 (Thanksgiving)
Off Christmas break - 2 weeks
Off Jan 16 (Teacher work day... end of semester)
Off Jan 19 (Federal Holiday)
Off Feb 13 (Professional Development)
Off Feb 16 (Federal Holiday)
Off Mar. 30 - Apr. 3 (Spring Break)
Off Apr 6 (Teacher work day)
Off May 25 (Federal Holiday)
Last day of school - June 3

The BIG school District (where the gym is located) has a staggered start for its students. And every school starts at a different time.
School starts either Aug 18, 19, or 20
Off Sept. 1 (Fed. Holiday)
Off Oct. 20 (Teacher In-service)
Off Nov. 10 (Professional Development)
Off Nov. 26-28 (Thanksgiving)
Off Dec. 1 (Professional Development)
Off Dec. 22-Jan 5 (Winter Break & In-Service-End of semester)
Off Jan 19 (Federal Holiday)
Off Feb 13 (Professional Development)
Off Feb 16 (Federal Holiday)
Off Mar 16 (In-Service)
Off Mar 23-30 (Spring Break & Professional Development)
Off Apr 3 (just because)
Off May 25 (Federal Holiday)
Last Day of School - May 28.

 

[MILgymFAM]

We are in the US. We have lived in six different schools districts thus far, and they have all had different hours and breaks. Our current (new) school runs basically sept-june and the hours, for middle school at least, are 7:30-3 m-f. There is a two week winter break and one week spring break.

 

[1canadiangymmom]

In Canada where we are:
grades K - 6 we did year round
8:20 am - 2:50pm
year starts Aug 5 or the tuesday after the august long weekend.
2 week break in oct, 3 weeks at christmas, 2 weeks at easter, and summer holiday is only about 5 weeks

grade 7 we are starting traditional 8:30 - 3pm
school starts Sep 2,
4 days at thanksgiving, 2 weeks at christmas, 1 week at easter aprox 8 weeks for summer holidays.

plus of course the usual professional days, bank holidays etc.

 

[SuperGirlmlm]

Where I live (US) we have
9:15-3:40 for elementary school
8:00-3:00 for middle school
7:30- 2:20 for high school
Then 2 weeks for winter holidays, spring break and 3 months for summer break