Union advocates for postponement of holiday season, suggesting a start date later than June. - Workers' group advocates for postponing the commencement of summer vacations until after June.
In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (MV), the Gewerkschaft Erziehung und Wissenschaft (GEW), a teachers' union, has voiced its opposition to summer holidays starting in June. The GEW believes that early holidays can disrupt the educational process and workload balance for teachers and students.
This year, summer holidays in MV will commence on July 29, but the GEW predicts that, in the coming years, holidays will start progressively earlier. In 2026, holidays will begin on July 13, in 2027 on July 5, in 2028 on June 26, and in 2029 as early as June 18.
Ulrike von Malottki, GEW state chairwoman in MV, explains that an early holiday start in June often results in heat exemptions at the start of school in August, leading to lost teaching time. The GEW also criticizes the additional effort required for lesson plans, tests, exams, and exams due to the rotation of holiday start dates.
The GEW in MV believes that the Ministry of Education in MV has stayed out of the discussion regarding the rotation of holiday start dates. The union also sees challenges in the current holiday planning due to different holiday periods for general and vocational schools.
The GEW in MV suggests that improving holiday planning within the state could help address the challenges faced by teachers with children of school age. The union does not mention any changes to the regional staggering of summer holidays, as outlined in the Hamburg Agreement of 1964, which has been in place for decades to avoid traffic jams or congestion at holiday accommodations.
The GEW in MV opposes holidays starting in June due to the potential impact on teachers and students. Early holidays might mean less instruction time for students, potentially affecting academic performance and exam readiness. Teachers face increased stress and workload, as they must accelerate lesson plans and grading to cover the curriculum in less time.
The GEW in MV does not comment on the holiday start dates in other federal states, such as Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, where the school year ends later in the summer. Several federal states, however, demand that Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria also participate in the rotation of holiday start dates.
For decades, summer holidays in Germany have been staggered regionally to balance the demand for holiday accommodations. However, the GEW in MV raises concerns about the implications for teachers and students, particularly with regard to the challenges posed by different holiday periods for general and vocational schools. The union also highlights the difficulties faced by teachers with children of school age, such as arranging childcare and making joint vacations impossible due to the varying holiday periods.
- The Gewerkschaft Erziehung und Wissenschaft (GEW) in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (MV) advocates for a revision in the community policy regarding the school calendar, particularly the staggering of summer holidays, to ensure better education-and-self-development for students and workload balance for teachers.
- The GEW in MV calls for policy-and-legislation changes in the holiday planning process, specifically addressing the challenges in aligning general and vocational schools' holiday periods, thereby enhancing learning opportunities for all students.
- The GEW in MV suggests that improving regional holiday planning, focusing on teachers with children of school age, can address issues like arranging childcare and making joint vacations possible, as well as alleviate the increased stress and workload on teachers by facilitating a more balanced school calendar.
