What's happening in your world?

[Farseer]

I'm not sure what happens elsewhere in Australia (though I doubt it would be a LOT different...someone jump in if it is!) but up here in Queensland we have four school terms to the year and the lengths of the school terms (usually from nine to eleven weeks) vary a little, depending on various influences eg public holidays at the beginning or end etc.

Usually, the first term begins in late January and lasts until the Easter break. State/government schools have "ten days" break over the Easter period (this includes Easter Friday and two weekends so, effectively, is only one school week off..."ten days" just sounds so much the better so that's what everyone says!) and private schools tend to have two whole weeks.

The second term then begins and continues until the second last week of June with the mid-year, winter break usually straddling the last week of June and the first week of July. State/government schools receive two weeks while, as for the Easter break, most private schools tend to end up with an extra week so get three weeks off.

After the third term, the spring holiday break then straddles the last week of September and first week of October.

In mid-November, the senior (Year Twelve) students from both private and state/government schools graduate and then state/government school Year Ten students as well as students from all year levels in most private schools finish up about a week or so later. Students in other year levels in state/government schools then continue attending school until around the second week of December.

To confuse things further, students in state/government schools considered to be in a "rural and remote" location finish a week earlier as they get an extra week of holidays compared to students on the east coast or down in the south-east corner (of Queensland). As far as I have always known, this is to allow for extra travel time to holiday destinations as there are quite vast distances to cover to reach the coast (isn't that nice of our Qld Government to do that for us ?!). It has been this way since I went to school so not much has changed in two decades!

A long-winded reply...possibly just posting THIS would have been easier...why didn't I just look there first ?!