Spring break 2024: when and how long will schoolchildren rest in Ukraine

The following were used in the preparation: recommendations of the Ministry of Education and Science on the organization of the 2023/2024 school year in general secondary education institutions, Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 782, the Law "On Complete General Secondary Education," publications of the KIEV, the Departments of Education of Poltava and Zhytomyr, and Suspilne.

Spring vacation dates for 2024

Schoolchildren in Ukraine usually go on vacation at the end of March. They last 7 days. Before the start of the school year 2023-2024, the Ministry of Education and Science approved the approximate start and end dates of the vacation:

• March 25 to March 31 inclusive.

Why the vacation schedule may be different

The spring break schedule from the Ministry of Education and Science is recommended. After all, the structure of the educational process is determined by secondary education institutions of Ukraine independently . This takes into account the time provided for by the educational program, as well as the peculiarities of the region.

The Law "On Complete General Secondary Education" stipulates that students must have at least 30 calendar days of rest during the school year. However, in each individual educational institution, the dates of all vacations are set by the pedagogical council, mostly in accordance with the recommendations of the Ministry of Education.

In addition, in times of war, the organization of the educational process depends on the security situation in the regions. Decisions are made by local state/military administrations.

The Ministry of Education and Science emphasized that, if necessary, schools may introduce long-term vacations, for example, if there are power outages. So far, however, this scenario has been avoided.

Spring break in Ukrainian schools

According to Deputy Head of the Kyiv City State Administration Valentyn Mondriyivskyi, spring break in Kyiv schools will last from March 25 to 31, 2024.

The Department of Education in Zhytomyr announced the approximate dates of the holidays on March 23-31.

In Dnipro , the dates of schoolchildren's spring break have been set: March 25 - March 31, 2024.

Schools in Kharkiv, Cherkasy, and Poltava are also planning to follow the schedule recommended by the Ministry of Education.

It should be noted that private schools may have different vacation dates.

Additional vacations. For whom and when will they be

Kyiv schoolchildren will have one more week of vacation before the spring break. Thus, from February 19 to February 25, first-graders will not study. The decision was approved by the Kyiv City Council.

In addition, students with a three-semester system of education may have a week of vacation in February. These additional winter vacations are set by the school administration.

School year in the midst of war

For the second year in a row, schoolchildren in Ukraine are forced to study under martial law.

Due to the constant threat of Russian attacks in a number of regions, lessons are organized remotely. A hybrid format of the educational process is also used, when classes are partially held online and in person. For children to attend school, it is mandatory to have an air raid shelter.

The length of the school year has also changed due to the war. According to the government's decision, the educational process was extended by a month so that children could "catch up" with the program that they might have missed due to the fighting, the blackouts.

The Cabinet of Ministers resolution states: "To establish the duration of the 2023/2024 school year in general secondary education institutions from September 1, 2023 to June 28, 2024."

However, the last bells in most schools should traditionally be held on May 31, and compensatory classes to overcome educational losses, certification, and other activities of the educational program may continue until June 28, 2024.