The duration of school holidays in Spain has been the subject of recurring debate in the fields educational, political and socialEach academic year is organized around a calendar that establishes approximately 175-180 school days, according to article 51 of the Organic Law 2/2006 on Education (LOE), modified by the LOMLOE (2020), and developed by the autonomous communities in their school calendar decrees.
The big question is whether this number of days and the distribution of holiday periods (Christmas, Easter and summer, as well as holidays and long weekends) is excessive compared to other European countries and if it negatively affects the children's learning, work-life balance and family life.
The School Calendar in Spain
In most autonomous communities, the school year begins in September and ends at end of June, leaving almost three months of summer vacation. To this are added some two weeks at Christmas and one at Easter, in addition to local and national holidays.
The length of holidays, especially summer holidays, has a historical origin linked to the agrarian economy, in which children helped in the fields. However, in the current context—marked by urbanization, labor changes, and the demand for work-life balance—this model is increasingly being questioned.
International Comparison of School Holidays
According to data from the OECD (Education at a Glance, 2022), Spain is among the countries with more weeks of summer vacation (10-12 weeks), while countries like Germany, France or Italy have between 6 and 9 weeks, but compensated with breaks more spread out throughout the course.
This model of “shorter but spread out vacations" seeks to prevent summer learning loss, the loss of learning during long periods without contact with school (Cooper et al., 1996).
Spain and Portugal stand out for being the European countries with more consecutive weeks of school inactivity, which generates debate about its pedagogical suitability.
Impact on Learning and Equity
One of the main arguments against long vacations is the learning impairment.
- Minors in advantaged environments They usually hold cultural, sports or educational activities during the summer.
- Minors in vulnerable contexts, however, lose acquired skills due to a lack of resources and reinforcement programs.
In Spain, both the State School Board like the Ombudsman have warned that extended vacations aggravate the educational gap, especially in students with learning difficulties or without access to educational leisure and summer programs (Alexander et al., 2007).
Family Reconciliation and Social Organization
From the families' point of view, long school holidays pose a challenge to the work-life balance.
- Parents have 30 working days of vacation, compared to the almost 90 days of school leave for the children.
- Many families turn to urban camps, summer activities or family support.
- The problem is greater in single-parent or low-income households.
However, advocates of long vacations highlight benefits such as:
Enriching leisure opportunities beyond school.
He physical and emotional rest of minors.
Strengthening the family ties.
The Political and Pedagogical Debate in Spain
Some autonomous communities have experimented with more balanced school calendar models, shortening the summer and introducing breaks in between.
However, these proposals generate resistance in:
- Part of the faculty, which values the stability of the traditional calendar.
- Many families, who organize their work and social life around the current model.
The lack of political and social consensus has so far prevented a structural reform of the school calendar in Spain..
Conclusions: Too Many School Holidays in Spain?
Spain is one of the European countries with more consecutive weeks of summer vacation, which generates pedagogical, social and family conciliation doubts.
- Long vacations provide valuable rest and leisure.
- They can also cause learning loss and social inequalities.
The key is not in increase or reduce rest days, but in redistribute them better during the course and reinforce the Support programs, educational leisure and summer activities accessible to all.
Ultimately, the challenge is to ensure that school holidays in Spain be a true time of rest, development and child well-being, without becoming a factor of inequality.
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