Adlercreutz Proposes Pushing Finland’s Summer Holidays Two Weeks Later, Adding April Break

Education Minister Anders Adlercreutz has proposed delaying the start of Finland’s summer holidays by two weeks and introducing a one-week April break, YLE reports.

Reactions were mixed. Ninth-graders at Kilpinen School in Jyväskylä said a longer spring term would be exhausting, while other pupils welcomed the prospect of warmer August weeks or an April pause to recharge. Teachers in Jyväskylä and Tampere warned that extending the spring term could increase tiredness and lead to more restless classrooms.

The Trade Union of Education (OAJ) says an internal survey found almost 80 percent of members oppose postponing summer holidays. Parents raised practical concerns about arranging childcare and aligning parental leave.

The Ministry of Education and Culture has opened a study on the proposal. The change is not in the government programme, and some coalition parties remain cautious.