Academic term facts for kids

An academic term is a part of the school year. It's the time when schools, colleges, or universities hold classes. The way these schedules are set up can be very different around the world.

Most school years start in late summer or early autumn. They usually finish the next spring or summer. In countries like the USA or Europe (Northern Hemisphere), this means school runs from August, September, or October to May, June, or July. In countries like Australia or Brazil (Southern Hemisphere), the school year often matches the calendar year. It runs from February or March to November or December.

What are Academic Terms?

Words like semester, trimester, and quarter are all types of academic terms. They describe how the school year is divided.

• Semester means "six monthly" in Latin. It usually refers to a half-year term. This term typically lasts about 15 to 18 weeks. Many universities use two semesters to divide their academic year.
• Trimester means "of three months" in Latin. Some universities divide their year into three terms. Each of these terms is called a trimester.
• Quarter means "fourth part" in Latin. Some schools divide their year into four terms. Each of these terms is called a quarter.

School Years Around the World

Australia

In Australia, most primary and secondary schools have a year that lasts about 200 days. It runs from late January or early February to early or mid-December. The year is split into four terms:

• Term 1 starts in late January or early February. It ends in late March or early April, often near Easter.
• Term 2 starts in late April or early May and ends in late June.
• Term 3 starts in mid-to-late July and ends mid-to-late September.
• Term 4 starts in mid-October and ends early to mid-December.

There are usually two-week breaks after Term 1 and Term 3. There is a three-week break in the middle of the year. Most Australian universities have two semesters. Some, like Bond University, have three trimesters.

Canada

In Canada, each province decides its own school calendar. Most elementary and high schools have between 178 and 200 school days. This includes about 187 teaching days each year.

Many high schools use a two-semester system. The first semester runs from early September to mid-January. The second runs from early February to late June. These semesters are often divided into two terms. Some schools use a trimester system, especially for younger students.

Most universities and colleges run from early September to late April or early May. This time is often split into two terms. Some universities, like University of Waterloo, offer full courses during the summer too.

China

In China, elementary, middle, and high schools have two semesters. The first is from September to January. The second is from February or March (depending on Chinese New Year) to July.

Most universities also use the two-semester system. A few are trying out a quarter system.

• The winter break is from January to February or March. It lasts about four weeks.
• The summer break is usually from July to the end of August.
• There are also shorter breaks for holidays like Qingming Festival, Labor Day, Dragon Boat Festival, and Mid-Autumn Festival.

Germany

In Germany, the school year starts between late July and early September. It ends from mid-June to July. There is a summer break of about six weeks. The exact dates change each year and vary by state. This helps spread out holiday traffic.

The school year is divided into two parts: September to February and February to July. Students get a report card in February. There are also several shorter breaks:

• Christmas Break: Two weeks around Christmas and New Year.
• Winter Break: One or two weeks in February or early March.
• Easter Break: Two weeks in March or April.
• Whitsun Break: One or two weeks around Whitsun.
• Autumn Break: One or two weeks in October/November.

German universities usually have two semesters. The Wintersemester (Winter Semester) runs from October 1 to March 31. The Sommersemester (Summer Semester) runs from April 1 to September 30.

Japan

In Japan, most schools use a trimester system. Most universities use a semester system. The school year starts on April 1.

• School Term 1: April 1 to late July.
• School Term 2: Early September to late December. This includes a two-week break for New Year.
• School Term 3: Early January to late March. This is followed by a short week-long spring break.

The summer break usually lasts about six weeks. It's shorter in colder regions like Hokkaidō. The school year has about 200 days.

Philippines

In the Philippines, the school year usually lasts nine to ten months. It must have at least 200 days. The school year begins in the first week of June and ends in March.

Most primary and junior high schools divide the year into quarters for exams and grades.

• 1st Quarter: June to mid-August.
• 2nd Quarter: Mid-August to late-October. This is followed by a one-week break.
• 3rd Quarter: November to the third week of December. This is followed by a two-week Christmas break.
• 4th Quarter: January to mid-to-late March. This is followed by a long summer break.

The summer break lasts about two months, from April to May. Senior high schools (Grades 11 and 12) use a semester system. Many universities also use two semesters. Some universities use a trimester or even a quarterly system.

United Kingdom

In the UK, the school year is usually divided into three terms. It runs from autumn to summer. State schools have 190 teaching days and five teacher training days.

In England and Wales, the school year runs from early September to late July. Most schools have three terms, each split in half by a one-week break called "half term."

• Autumn Term: Early September to mid-December. Half term in late October/early November.
• Spring Term: Early January to shortly before Easter. Half term in mid-February.
• Summer Term: Shortly after Easter to late July. Half term in late May/early June.

There are two-week holidays for Christmas and Easter. The summer holidays are six to eight weeks long.

In Northern Ireland, the summer holidays are nine weeks long, from July to August. In Scotland, the school year runs from mid-to-late August to late June or early July.

Most UK universities run from September or October to June or July. They have three or four-week breaks around Christmas and Easter. Many universities use a semester system for courses. Some older universities have special names for their terms, like Michaelmas, Hilary, and Trinity at Oxford.

United States

In the USA, the school calendar for K-12 (kindergarten to 12th grade) varies by state and local school district. The academic year usually has two 18-week semesters. Each semester is divided into two nine-week marking periods (quarters). This means 170 to 186 teaching days.

The school year often starts in the last two weeks of August. Some schools start after Labor Day in September. It ends around late May or June.

Schools have holidays for federal, state, and local events. They also have longer breaks:

• A one to two-week break during the winter holidays (Christmas and New Year).
• A spring break in March or April, often around Easter.
• A long summer break, usually from late May or June until August.

Colleges and universities in the US use different systems:

• A quarter system divides the year into four terms. Three terms make a full academic year. Quarters are usually 10-12 weeks long.
• A semester system divides the year into two terms. Each term is 16-18 weeks long. This is the most common system.
• A trimester system divides the year into three terms. Each term is 14-16 weeks long.

Some schools use a "4-1-4 system." This means two four-month terms and a one-month term in January. During the one-month term, students might do special projects, study abroad, or internships.

See also

In Spanish: Periodo académico para niños