School year 2025/26 brings large changes – both organizational and leisure days. According to the authoritative calendar published by the Ministry of National Education, Primary and secondary school students can number on 177 days without lessons. That means that for almost half a year, the school bags will stay home.
New school year starts September 1, 2025
By tradition, The first bell will ringing September 1stWhich in the coming year is Monday. From that day on, students will return to schools in stationary mode to start the next cycle of learning. Importantly, although the current school year 2024/25 is not yet over, parents and students are already planning another 1 – and the number of days off is of peculiar interest.
177 days off and 188 days of study
According to the agenda prepared by MEN, School year 2025/26 covers a full of 365 daysof which:
- 188 days for school,
- 177 days are days off from teaching.
That means an almost perfect balance between discipline and restwhich may have a affirmative effect on the intellectual and physical condition of children and adolescents.
What's in the day off?
For the mentioned 177 days off consist of:
- weekends (c. 104 days),
- summer holidays (about 70 days),
- winter break (in the fresh variant – 3 tours, alternatively of 4),
- public holidays,
- Christmas breaks (Christmas, Easter),
- additional days off designated by the school head.
Modification of winter holidays – only 3 tours
In school year 2025/26 was introduced change in the organisation of winter holidays. So far, the holidays took place in 4 tours assigned to individual voivodships. Now will be divided into 3 groups, which may mean better burden distribution for the tourism industry, but besides simplifying educational logistics.
Christmas breaks and public holidays
Official days off from classes include:
- November 1 (All Saints) – Saturday,
- November 11 (Independence Day) – Tuesday,
- Christmas – 24 December to 1 January,
- Easter – 13–14 April (Sunday and Monday),
- 1 May (Labour Day) Thursday,
- 3 May (Constitution Day 3 May) – Saturday,
- God's Body – June 5 (Thursday).
These days, combined with weekends, make so-called. long weekends, frequently utilized by families for a short rest.
The school chief may add further days off
In accordance with the existing Regulation, School heads have the right to designate additional days free from teaching. Their number depends on the kind of facility:
- up to 8 days in primary, vocational and post-secondary schools,
- up to 10 days in advanced schools, techniques and complementary techniques.
This means that the actual number of days off may inactive increase – depending on the decisions of individual schools and local conditions, specified as retreats, matura exams or vocational examinations.
Good conditions for learning and rest
From the point of view of the organisation of the education system, maintaining an almost equal number of learning days and days off may contribute to:
- greater engagement of students in classes – thanks to more frequent remainder periods,
- reduction of occupational burnout among teachers,
- better planning of extracurricular activities, excursions and educational projects,
- more uniform psychophysical burden students.
At the same time, parents gain more opportunities to plan joint trips and household activities well in advance.
Future prospects
The current model of organisation of the school year – with clearly separated periods of learning and remainder – can become the starting point for further reforms in the Polish education system. A clear schedule, clear rules for planning extra days off and reducing the number of holidays could be a affirmative step towards greater stableness and predictability school year.
177 days off from classes is not only a number – it is simply a circumstantial educational and educational value, whose importance increases with expanding request for a balance between school duties and recovery times.
More here:
As many as 177 days off from school! Here is the full calendar of the school year 2025/26
