NRW Minister of Education calls for later summer holidays: Is that fair?

NRW Minister of Education calls for later summer holidays: Is that fair?

in North Rhine-Westphalia could soon be doing something in the holiday planning for families. Minister of Education Dorothee Feller has submitted a proposal to postpone the summer vacation, which leaves a lot of space for discussions. The aim is to give the families the opportunity to plan trips in September if the prices are often noticeably cheaper. [Antenne NRW] (https://antne.nrw/nrw-bildungsminister-schlaeGt-spaetere-summer holidays-vor/) reports that the current summer holidays in the federal state follow a defined rhythm, coordinated by the conference with the Ministers of Education, and there are already different start times for the holidays in the federal states.

The special feature: Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg have a different holiday cycle and traditionally begin later in the year. Another obstacle is the clear cancellation of Bavaria to an exchange of the holidays. Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder has clearly clarified that the Bavarian holiday model is firmly anchored. The Minister of Culture of the Free State, Anna Stolz, confirms that the latest date for the summer vacation is essential to enable the pupils to carry out exams after the Pentecost holidays.

The wishes for changes

The number of federal states that rotate their summer vacation is 14 out of 16, while the exceptions to Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg provide an imbalance. Feller argues that the definition of the summer vacation regulation comes from more than 50 years ago, originally created to help the children in agricultural regions. She sees a need for action here and demands a fairer solution for all federal states when it comes to the summer vacation dates RuHR24.

Currently, the summer holidays in NRW are binding until 2030. They start in the school year 2025/26 on July 14th and end on August 26, and therefore do not offer any scope for early vacation planning. The state of affairs is that the federal states have to initiate a new voting procedure for the holiday periods from 2031. Numerous factors play a role in this, including climatic, economic and traffic policy aspects as well as the holiday habits of the citizens.

A look at education policy

The topic of education in Germany is known to be of great importance and characterized by constant changes. Since the introduction of compulsory schooling in Prussia in 1763, which was crucial for national identity, the education system has constantly evolved. It has become a highly stratified system that also strongly influences the holiday regulations. Educational expansion is necessary so that all layers get access to the same educational opportunities, which ultimately also includes the topic of the summer holidays [bpb.de] (https://www.bpb.de/themen/bildung/dossier-bildung/194145/ Development-Des-Deutschen-bildungsystems-im-ueberblick/).

In a society in which education and equal opportunities represent central issues, it will be interesting to observe how Fellers proposal is recorded by the other federal states. In particular, the discussions about the realignment of the summer vacation dates could be very interested, especially for families who rely on inexpensive travel options. The outcome of Fellers suggestion remains to be seen, but the conversation and the considerations are already in full swing.