Choose a country, then narrow the dates to the region, district or school that actually applies.
The dates depend on the education system. Australian breaks differ by state and territory. UK calendars vary by nation, council and sometimes school. US and Canadian dates can differ by district or board. New Zealand and South Africa have more central frameworks, but individual schools can still add local closure or teacher-only days. Choosing the country is only the first step.
They are designed for practical planning: comparing likely travel periods, seeing when childcare may be needed, choosing annual-leave weeks, checking whether cousins in another region are off school at the same time, and spotting periods when accommodation or attractions may be busier. The pages are a convenient starting point rather than a substitute for a school's own notice.
If you are considering a two-week family trip, first check whether the proposed dates sit inside the relevant school break. Then compare airfares or accommodation before committing. If another parent, grandparent or child is tied to a different school system, open both country or regional pages and compare the overlap. The Days Between Dates tool can then tell you exactly how long the shared window is.
A holiday page focuses on the breaks between teaching periods. If you need the actual first and last day of each term, go to School Term Dates. Public holidays can also occur during a school term and do not automatically create a school break everywhere, so keep those concepts separate.
Before paying for non-refundable travel, arranging formal custody handovers, or assuming a student can be absent, confirm the dates with the relevant education department, local authority, school district, board or school. Teacher-only days, local holidays and emergency changes can make a general calendar incomplete.