The School Year in Europe: Recommended compulsory instruction time and holidays

Online tool that shows how the school year is organized in different European countries. It provides visual information about the start and end dates of the school year, the timing of school holidays, and the length of different breaks for students in primary and secondary education. The information is presented through interactive charts and calendars that allow users to compare school schedules across Europe.

The resource collects official data from national education authorities and includes information from many countries that participate in European education programmes. By exploring the visuals, users can see when school usually begins in each country, how long the summer holidays last, and when other breaks—such as autumn, Christmas, winter, or Easter holidays—take place. This makes it easier to understand the differences and similarities between education systems across Europe.

Overall, the tool is designed to help teachers, researchers, policymakers, and the general public better understand how school time is structured in Europe. By presenting the data in a clear and visual way, it supports comparisons between countries and provides useful insights into how education systems organise the academic year.

https://eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu/data-and-visuals/school-year-eu-time-holidays

The structure of European education systems

This website is an invaluable tool for teachers involved in Erasmus mobilities and educators across Europe. It provides a clear and comprehensive overview of the education and training systems from pre-primary to tertiary levels for the 2024/2025 academic year, covering 39 education systems in 37 countries within the Eurydice Network.

The diagrams are especially useful for understanding the structure of formal education programmes, enabling teachers to align expectations and strategies with the systems in other countries. These visual tools focus on:

Early childhood and school education, including early enrolment programmes (ISCED 0) and primary/secondary education (ISCED 1-3).

Post-secondary non-tertiary programmes (ISCED 4).

Tertiary education (ISCED 5-8).

For Erasmus participants, this resource simplifies the process of navigating different education systems, making it easier to design exchange activities, prepare students, and collaborate with partner schools. It’s also perfect for teachers from other European countries who want to deepen their understanding of how education is structured across the continent, fostering meaningful and well-informed international cooperation.

https://eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu/data-and-visuals/european-education-structures

School calendars in Europe #Eurydice

This resource offers a comprehensive look at key aspects of the school year across European countries. It highlights the start dates, duration, and scheduling of school holidays, as well as detailing who is responsible for making these decisions.

The tool serves two primary purposes:

To enhance understanding of the structure and timing of students' school schedules across Europe.

To assist in planning transnational activities and school-level exchanges within the region.

The information spans 37 European countries that are part of the Eurydice network and focuses on primary and general secondary education, following the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED 2011).

Details are accessible through two main sections:

Calendar View: A visual representation of school schedules.

Comparative Data: An analysis of differences and similarities across countries

Find it on:

https://eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu/data-and-visuals/european-school-calendars

Learning for sustainability in Europe: Building competences and supporting teachers and schools

This Eurydice report examines how 39 European education systems develop sustainability skills among students and support teachers and schools in the green transition. It looks at how sustainability is integrated into European curricula and the role of teachers and school leaders in promoting sustainability education. The report also explores how schools adopt comprehensive sustainability approaches and receive support and guidance.

The report finds that most European countries include sustainability skills in their curricula, offer teacher training and resources, and support schools.

Find it on:

https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/dc327457-f875-11ee-a251-01aa75ed71a1/language-en

2023 Eurydice publications

The Eurydice network delivers reliable information on various aspects of education policy and practices in Europe. With assistance from national units in 37 countries, Eurydice offers insights into 39 national education systems, conducts comparative studies on specific topics, and provides indicators and statistics. 

These reports encompass data from EU Member States and other participating countries in the network and are accessible in multiple languages. 

An overview of Eurydice's 2023 publications is now accessible, providing easy access to all their reports with just a single click.

https://eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu/sites/default/files/2024-01/2023_Publications_List.pdf 

Key data on teaching languages at school in Europe

The 2023 edition of Key data on teaching languages at school in Europe is the fifth edition of the report. As the past editions, this new one intends to contribute to the monitoring of the policy developments in the field of (foreign) language teaching in schools in Europe.

This report includes 51 indicators covering a wide range of topics relevant to (foreign) language policy at the EU and national levels. Data from the Eurydice Network is complemented by Eurostat data and data from two international surveys carried out by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD): the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the 2018 Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS). (Source:  Eurydice)

https://eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu/media/3041/download