Croatia proposes new school holiday calendar for 2026/2027 academic year

The Croatian Ministry of Science and Education has prepared a draft proposal for the school holiday calendar for the 2026/2027 academic year.

Under the proposal, the new school year would begin on 7 September 2026, while the final day of classes for most pupils would fall on Tuesday, 15 June 2027.

For final-year secondary school students preparing for the state matura exams, classes would end earlier, on 21 May 2027.

According to the draft schedule, the first school term would run until 23 December 2026, with the second term beginning on 7 January 2027.

The winter school holidays would therefore last from 24 December 2026 until 5 January 2027.

A second short break is also planned in February, running from 22 February to 26 February 2027, with classes resuming on 1 March.

The proposed spring holidays would take place from 25 March to 2 April 2027, while pupils would return to classrooms on 5 April.

Summer holidays would officially begin on 16 June 2027.

State Secretary at the Ministry, Zrinka Mužinić Bikić, said that the ministry had reviewed the current year’s experience before preparing the draft calendar.

She noted that many public holidays next year fall on weekends, creating more breaks during the school year. She added that opinions remain divided between those who prefer shorter breaks spread throughout the year and those who support longer holidays, saying that both approaches have proved effective.

The ministry is now expected to gather public feedback before making a final decision within the next month.