Spain School Holidays

“School’s out for summer ...”

Yep, the school summer holidays have started here in Spain. Three months of freedom and sunshine stretch into the distance.

As my brother in England commented, it seems like a crazy length of time off. After all, the English schools won’t finish for another month yet, and then ‘only’ for six weeks.

Indeed, the schools in Spain seem to be about the first in Europe to break up. If the car registration plates are anything to go by it will be the beginning of July before the French cross the border to start their holidays, and a few days after that before the Belgians, Dutch and Germans arrive.

Still, the Spanish timetable is understandable. Through June my daughter’s school shifted its hours so they were in from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., instead of the usual 9-12 and 3-5 p.m. The afternoons get too hot at this time of year to do anything else.

And now, with the full force of summer upon us, it’s too much for the kids to continue.

It’s been a long term too. Unlike in other countries, where there is a half-term break for the kids to recharge, here there are merely three long terms. The last holiday our daughter had therefore was Easter. And that was only for a week, rather than the two her cousins in England get.

So now 12 weeks at the beach beckon. What a prospect.

It’s not so great for the parents though. With so many working full time – and for people that live by the Mediterranean this is peak earning season – what are they supposed to do about childcare?

Hello grandparents ...

Hmm, not necessarily an option if you’re an expat and the rest of your family live thousands of miles away.

Or, as is commonly the case, you could enrol the kids in a summer school. So, back to class then. Maybe it’s not such a long, lazy vacation after all.