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An academic year or school year is a period that schools, colleges and universities use to measure the quantity of study that are often divided into academic terms.^[1] During this period, students attend classes and do relevant exams and homework. It comprises school days and school holidays. Duration of school days, school year, and holidays vary across the world.

Terminology

School days

A school day is a day when school is open. Governments often legislate on the total number of school days in a year for state schools.^[2]

School holidays

School holidays (also referred to as vacations, breaks, and recess) are the periods during which schools are closed or no classes or other mandatory activities are held.^[3] The dates and periods of school holidays vary considerably throughout the world, and there is usually some variation even within the same jurisdiction.^[4] The holidays given below apply to primary and secondary education. Teaching sessions (terms or semesters) in tertiary education are usually longer.

Easter vacation

In countries with a Christian religious tradition, the Easter holiday takes place in the northern spring. The date varies because Easter is a movable feast, but also by country and level of schooling.^[5]

Summer vacation

In the northern hemisphere, the longest break in the educational calendar is in the middle of the year, during the northern summer, and lasts up to 14 weeks.^[6] In Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, and Russia, summer holidays are normally three months, compared to six to eight weeks in Britain, the Netherlands, and Germany. In India, the summer holidays typically span a duration of one to two months, extending from May to June. In the southern hemisphere, the longest break in the educational calendar is in the end-beginning of the year, during the southern summer, and lasts up to 14 weeks, from December 21 to March 20.^[4]

Common practices and effects

Traffic congestion and heavy passenger loads on public transport on school run routes may be worse on school days during term time.^[7]

Summer holidays for most children are a time to relax, enjoy themselves, catch up on studies, or spend time with family or relatives. Many families travel together on school holidays. School holidays have many effects on a country, ranging from the price of travel and holiday accommodation, which increase as demand increases while children are off school, to a change in crime rate.^[8] The number of families taking holidays away from urban areas can reduce traffic and use of public transport in cities while loading long-distance highways and means of transport.

In some countries where many families travel to their holiday destinations, such as the Netherlands, the start and end dates of school holidays in different regions are staggered to reduce the heavy traffic and pressure on means of transport that would otherwise occur on these dates.^[9]

By country

Africa

Nigeria

In Nigeria, the longest holiday is from July ending to first or second week of September for secondary schools and a longer duration within same period for tertiary institutions. Holidays are generally determined by schools and they start from July to early days in September.^[10]

South Africa

In South Africa, the main holiday usually lasts from early December to early or mid-January (5 or 6 weeks).^{[citation needed]} There is an autumn break of up to 2 weeks in late March or early April, a longer winter break in late June and early July normally around 3 weeks, and a spring break in late September or early October which is 1 week.^[11]

South African schools and universities are all closed on all South African public holidays. In terms of Public Holidays Act if the holiday fall on a Sunday then the schools are closed the next Monday.

Americas

Brazil

Brazilian schools must have at least 200 school days.

In Brazil, summer holidays start in early December and end in late January or early February.^[12] Winter holidays are generally the entire month of July. Some schools in the tropical north follow a different school year.^{[citation needed]} The Brazilian Carnival is 40 days before Easter Sunday and those dates are not school holidays.^[13] Some national and Catholic holidays are usually celebrated in 3 or 4 days, like Easter, Corpus Christi and Carnival.

Canada

In Canada, the school year typically lasts between 185 and 190 days. The summer holiday includes the months of July and August, with students returning to school in late August or early September, most commonly on the day after Labour Day. The winter break lasts for two weeks (sometimes a day or two longer), beginning on Saturday and encompassing Christmas Day and New Year's Day. The spring break is one to two weeks long depending on the city or province. Good Friday and Easter may or may not fall within spring break. The Thanksgiving break is a 3-day break that falls in mid-October.

In Ontario, the school year is regulated to last at least 194 days, with up to seven of those days being professional activity days, for a total minimum of 187 instructional days. Spring break (commonly known as March Break) is the third week in March.^[14]

Chile

The school year is divided into semesters. The first semester runs from late February or early March to July. Following a two-week or three-week winter break, school resumes and lasts until early or mid-December, followed by 10–12 weeks of summer vacations. In addition, schools have a one-week-long break for National Holidays in mid-September. Being located in the Southern Hemisphere, spring begins approximately at the end of this holiday week so it acts similarly to the American spring break. There is also a brief Easter break in March or April.

United States

Duration of US academic year

Public elementary and secondary schools averaged (at the state level) between 170 and 180 school days in the 2007–08 academic year.^[15] Different states have different legal minimum requirements for instructional days and hours per year.^[16]

In the United States, there are typically 160 to 180 school days in a year; the exact number mainly depends on the state.^[17] (although school years at colleges and universities are often shorter). Private schools tend to have classes for 170 days each year.

Event-based breaks in the US

Zdroj:https://en.wikipedia.org?pojem=School_year
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