School Years around the World

Updated May 12, 2025 | Mark Hughes & Logan Chamberlain

From Australia to South Korea

The United States

In the United States, students go to school for 180 days annually, beginning in September and continuing through June. The academic year is split into either four terms or two semesters, depending on the institution. Learners typically have vacations in December, February, and April. The school day typically lasts from approximately 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The educational system mandates that students be present for eleven years, yet the majority finish in twelve. The typical class size consists of 23 students.

The U.S.is located in the northern hemisphere, and summer begins approximately in June, coinciding with the conclusion of the school year. Summer break extends from June until the end of August.

Australia

Students in Australia attend school for 200 days a year. Their school year lasts from late January to mid December. Since Australia is in the southern hemisphere, it experiences summer while it's winter in the northern hemisphere. Summer vacation for Australian students is from mid December to late January. Their school year is divided into four terms, with each term lasting 9 to 11 weeks. Students then have two weeks of vacation between each term. The typical school day is from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and lunch is eaten at school. Students are required to attend school for at least eleven years, but they usually attend for twelve years. The average class size is 24 students.

School grades in Australia are called years. Kindergarten is the first year of formal schooling, followed by year 1 through year 6; secondary school, or high school, is from year 7 to year 12. A 6 year old begins in year one, while an 18 year old finishes school by year 12. From year one to year six, students spend about 12 hours a week working on math and English. Many schools integrate subjects, meaning they combine two or more academic subjects. For instance, say your class is studying coral reefs. A non-integrated approach would have students study coral reels only in science class. An integrated method incorporates math, by taking measurements, for example, and language arts. Students would then use that information to write a report about coral reefs.

United Kingdom

In the UK, the academic year typically runs from early September to late July. The academic year is divided into three terms: fall (September to December), spring (January to Easter), and summer (April to July), and is designed to balance periods of study with breaks. There are holidays between each term, with a long summer vacation and shorter vacations for Christmas and Easter, as well as midterm breaks.

Mondays through Fridays are days for school, with free weekends. In elementary schools, students typically start from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. The business days of high school students are generally long, from around 08:30 AM to 04:00 PM, depending on the institution.

Brazil

In Brazil, the school day generally lasts from 7 a.m. to noon, and then students head home to have lunch with their families, regarded as the most significant meal of the day. School uniforms are often mandatory. Brazil’s summer is in the same months as Australia since it is positioned in the southern hemisphere.

In Brazilian schools, the main subjects are math, geography, history, science, Portuguese (the official language), and physical education. Nonetheless, numerous schools, especially in economically disadvantaged regions, face challenges due to insufficient funding for cultural subjects such as art and music. Class sizes typically average 23 students or more.

China

Because China is in the northern hemisphere, its summer months are in line with Asia, Europe, and North America. The school year in China typically runs from the beginning of September to mid-July. Summer vacation is generally spent in summer classes or studying for entrance exams. The average school day runs from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a two-hour lunch break. The school system in China requires nine years of education. High school is not required, but is common.

There are about 30 students in each classroom. Chinese students study from textbooks that emphasize China's unity, past and present accomplishments, and its future. Chinese language and math skills are tested at the end of each year. Math is typically taught by drill, which means students are repeatedly taught the basics of math until they are able to demonstrate comprehension. Education in China since the turn of the 21st century has been undergoing reform, with curriculum being redesigned to emphasize group activities and other methods believed to foster creativity and innovation.

Germany

Germany has school years spanning from August or September until June. The first stage of formal education is Grundschule (elementary school), which starts at age 6 and consists of four years of school (grades 1-4).

Then, students are streamed according to their academic performance into different types of secondary schools: Hauptschule, Realschule, or Gymnasium, each with a different focus and duration.

The school system focuses on academic rigor, vocational training, and furthering higher education.

Costa Rica

Costa Rica was one of the first nations in Central and South America to offer free public education. On average, there are about twenty-eight students in a classroom. Students are required to wear uniforms during the nine years of their formal education, from ages 6 to 15, and supply their own lunches and snacks. Students then begin college at age 15. The school year in Costa Rica runs from February to December. Students have vacation for about two months, from December to February, and a few weeks off in July.

Costa Rica is one of the most literate nations in Central America with over 96% of students over age 15 being able to read. In addition to the regular subjects, Spanish, social studies, math, and science, all Costa Rican schools now teach students English and computer science.

France

The school day in France typically runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., except for Wednesdays and Sundays, including a half day on Saturday. In public schools, there is a two-hour lunch break.

Students attend school between the ages of 6 and 18. The average class size is 23 pupils. It is not mandatory to wear uniforms, but all types of religious clothing are banned. Its academic year runs from September to July and has four seven-week terms, in which students have one to two weeks off.

Elementary students, ages 6 through 11, strengthen basic skills in reading, writing, and mathematics, in addition to exercises promoting observation, reasoning, creativity, and physical skills. Senior students study French, mathematics, physical and natural science, a foreign language, history, geography, economics, and civics.

Iran

Iran is another nation in the northern hemisphere with a school year similar to European countries. Students in Iran go to school for 10 months a year, or about 200 active days, from September to June. The average number of students per classroom is 27. From ages 5 to 18, boys and girls are educated separately. Girls typically have female teachers, while boys are taught by men. Religious study in Iran is required. Men and women do study together at the university level; by 2006, over half of all university students in Iran were women.

Beginning at age 5, all students must pass a yearly exam in order to move to the next grade level. Students in primary school learn about hygiene, basic math and science, reading, and study skills. Because many schools are in remote areas or do not have the money for such things as libraries, resourcefulness is necessary. For example, mobile libraries trundle across Iran to bring books to more than 4,000 children in 40 different schools. Each bus has two librarians and around 3,000 books. Students tend to get very excited when they hear the engine of the library bus coming their way.

Japan

In Japan, the academic year works on a trimester schedule, beginning in April and ending in March the next year. There are three main terms, with breaks for summer, winter, and spring. Students must wear uniforms, and there are strict guidelines regarding their appearance, which involve their hairstyles, footwear, socks, skirt length, cosmetics, and accessories.

Typically, every classroom contains roughly 29 students, with five or six computers distributed among them. The curriculum includes topics such as Japanese language, math, reading, social studies, music, and art. Moreover, students get a moral education, emphasizing subjects like health and safety, discipline, politeness, self-assurance, public conduct, and ecological responsibility.

Kenya

The school year in this southern-hemisphere nation is divided into three terms, each 13 weeks long, with one-month breaks in between. School days are from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Uniforms are mandatory in government-run schools. Most classrooms have about thirty students in them.

Many schools provide lunch. Because Kenya is experiencing severe economic and environmental hardships, some students save all or part of their lunch to share with their families. Students study the Kiswahili language, English, math, science, music, history, civics, and geography, and receive religious instruction.

Philippines

The Philippine school year is from June to March, interrupted by a break for the Christmas holiday and a summer break from April to May. Classes typically begin in the first week of June and end by the end of March, with local conditions warranting some variations.

Children attend Kindergarten, then go on to Elementary School (grades 1-6), followed by Junior High School (grades 7-10), and finally Senior High School (grades 11-12). As the global standard of education stabilizes, the Department of Education (DepEd) needed to come up with the best solution on how to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitude of the Filipinos, which is why they introduced Senior High School to provide education that prepares students for college or vocational training.

Mexico

The school year in Mexico runs from September to June. Students go to school Monday through Friday, and have elective classes on Saturdays. Students are required to wear uniforms for elementary school and middle school. School days are divided into two sessions, one for the morning and one for the afternoon.

In each classroom, there are about 24 students. Students learn Spanish, math, art, and physical education. Other subjects are integrated into courses called environmental knowledge. These include the natural sciences, history, geography, civics, reading, writing, and oral expression.

Nigeria

The school year in Nigeria runs from January to December. The year is divided into three semesters with a month off in between each semester. Students must wear uniforms, as well as obey rules for hair, jewelry, and accessory restrictions.

There are about 40 students in each classroom in Nigeria. There they will learn one of the three main languages (Hausa, Yoruba, or Ibo), math, English, social studies, health and physical education, religious instruction, agriculture, and home economics.

North Korea

Students in North Korea must attend school for 11 years, beginning at age 5. Students must wear uniforms provided by the government, and many students receive room and board from their government.

Students study music, art, math, the Korean language, social education. Social education includes studying about the former leader Kim Il Sung, and"Communist Morality." In later years they learn about the policies of the communist party. Social education also provides students with a controlled environment in which to learn so they are protected from "bad or unplanned influences."

Russia

The school year in Russia runs from September to May. Students attend class from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and remain together in the same class from 1st to 10th grade. Uniforms are required, and students are encouraged to dress warmly. Each classroom has about 16 students.
The last year of mandatory education is up to 10th grade, with subjects such as math, reading, natural sciences, music, art, and physical education.

The 11th and 12th grades offer optional subjects. Students can either go to vocational schools to learn trade skills or continue to study for university exams.

South Korea

The school year in South Korea typically runs from March to February. The year is divided into two semesters (March to July and September to February). School days are from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., but many stay later into the evening. In addition, students help clean up their classroom before leaving. Most students remain in the same room while their teachers rotate throughout the day. Each room has about thirty students with ten computers for them to share.

After 5 p.m. students have a short dinner at home, or eat at school, before study sessions or other activities begin in the evening. Students attend school Monday to Friday, with some Saturday classes scattered throughout the year. Their classes cover the Korean language, math, science, physical education, social studies, moral education, music, fine and practical arts. In third grade students begin receiving English instruction for two hours a week.

Saudi Arabia

The school year there generally runs from September through May, with a long summer break in June, July, and August.
The education system consists of three levels of schools: Primary School (grade 1 — grade 6), Intermediate School (grade 7 — grade 9), Secondary School (grade 10 — grade 12). All children aged 6 to 15 must be educated in subjects including Arabic, Islamic studies, mathematics, and science.

Students also receive time off during the major Islamic holidays, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, which follow the Islamic lunar calendar. Over the past years, the authorities encouraged educational standards and access, allowing both genders to benefit from this system.