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

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

In North Rhine-Westphalia, something could soon happen in holiday planning for families. Education Minister Dorothee Feller has submitted a proposal to postpone the summer holidays, which leaves plenty of room for discussion. The aim is to give families the opportunity to plan trips in September, when prices are often noticeably cheaper. Antenne NRW reports that the current summer holidays in the federal state follow a set rhythm, coordinated by the Conference of Education Ministers, and there are already different start times for the holidays in the federal states.

The special thing about this is that Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg have a different holiday cycle and traditionally start later in the year. Another obstacle is Bavaria's clear rejection of swapping holiday periods. The Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder has made it unmistakably clear that the Bavarian holiday model is firmly anchored. The Free State's Minister of Education, Anna Stolz, reiterates that the latest date for the summer holidays is essential in order to enable students to take exams after the Whitsun holidays.

The desire for change

The number of federal states that rotate their summer holidays is 14 out of 16, while the exceptions of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg cause an imbalance. Feller argues that the definition of the summer vacation policy dates back more than 50 years ago, originally created to help children in agricultural regions. She sees a need for action here and is calling for a fairer solution for all federal states when it comes to the summer holiday dates Ruhr24.

The summer holidays in North Rhine-Westphalia are currently binding until 2030. In the 2025/26 school year, they begin on July 14th and end on August 26th, and therefore offer no scope for early vacation planning. The current situation is that the federal states have to initiate a new coordination procedure for the holiday periods from 2031. Numerous factors play a role, including climatic, economic and transport policy aspects as well as the holiday habits of citizens.

A look at education policy

As is well known, the topic of education in Germany is of great importance and characterized by constant changes. Since the introduction of compulsory education in Prussia in 1763, which was crucial to national identity, the education system has constantly developed. It has become a highly stratified system, which also heavily influences holiday arrangements. Educational expansion is necessary so that all classes have access to equal educational opportunities, which ultimately also includes the issue of summer holidays bpb.de.

In a society in which education and equal opportunities are central issues, it will be interesting to see how Feller's proposal is received by the other federal states. In particular, discussions about realigning summer vacation dates could generate great interest, especially for families who rely on inexpensive travel options. The outcome of Feller's proposal remains to be seen, but the conversation and considerations are already in full swing.