Recently, Victoria Khristenko, the head of the permanent commission on education and science of the Lviv City Council, expressed her thoughts on reforming the school calendar, emphasizing that the traditional three-month summer vacation is outdated and negatively impacts learning.
Khristenko argues that the long summer breaks, a remnant from the Soviet era, are no longer suitable for contemporary educational needs.
She believes that such extended vacations cause students to forget much of what they learned in the previous academic year, and when classes resume, a significant amount of time is spent reviewing old material.
She also highlights the loss of valuable social and developmental skills, such as teamwork and communication, during the lengthy break.
According to Khristenko, the optimal duration for summer vacations should be between six to eight weeks. Additionally, children could engage in less formal educational activities, such as research projects or volunteer work, without the pressure of a strict curriculum.
Khristenko suggests that such activities could help maintain students' engagement in learning while allowing for breaks from traditional classroom work.
Looking ahead, Khristenko hopes that after the war, Ukraine will reconsider the structure of its academic year. One possibility, in her view, is to conclude the school year by the end of June and start the new academic year in early August, thereby shortening summer vacations while allowing for other forms of educational enrichment.