Summer holiday a week early

21 June 2007

BRUSSELS – Most secondary school students will sit their last exams on Friday 22 June, making the beginning of this year’s summer holiday a week earlier than the official start.

The secondary schools are not required to provide facilities for students in the intervening week between the last exams and the handing out of reports at the end of next week. That generally does not pose any problems for the upper classes, but many parents are not pleased that 12 to 14-year-olds will not be looked after during that week.

The schools say they need this last week of the school year for faculty meetings. All the teachers for each class must meet to discuss the students’ results and future placement. It takes some time to hold all these meetings.

Subject: Belgian news