A reassessment of Germany’s current system for determining summer holiday dates is being advocated by Ayla Celik, head of the Education and Research Union (GEW) in North Rhine-Westphalia. Speaking to the “Rheinische Post” Celik argued that an evaluation of the holiday structure should move beyond simply coordinating dates between individual federal states.
Her call for change considers factors including the increasing impact of climate change and rising temperatures, as well as the need to better support working families. Celik suggests that Germany should seriously consider deviating from the current state-specific staggered holiday schedule.
A move towards unified holiday regulations, similar to those in countries like France and Italy, could offer significant benefits. Such a system would not only promote greater family-friendliness – allowing children living in different states to have simultaneous time off – but also facilitate easier transitions for students transferring between federal states. Celik emphasized that the central question shouldn’t be the practicality of implementing unified rules, but rather a consideration of the will to do so.