FDP calls for fair summer vacation rules for all countries

Education - FDP calls for fair summer vacation rules for all countries

Frustration over the "permanent exceptional status" of southern federal states: The north rhine-westphalian FDP state faction sees families in the most populous federal state being disadvantaged during the current summer holiday schedules. Although the states agreed on the start of the holiday seasons with each other, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg did not participate in the rolling procedure, criticizes the FDP opposition in a draft resolution for the plenary session. The Liberals now demand "attractive and fair summer holiday schedules for all".

NRW Minister-President Hendrik Wüst (CDU) should intervene to ensure that the two southern federal states also participate in the rolling procedure. The black-green state government is asked in the resolution to "prevent the Minister-Presidents Markus Söder and Winfried Kretschmann from continuing with their views". While all other 14 federal states alternate in their summer holiday schedules, "the two southern federal states insist on their permanent exceptional status", according to the FDP faction. If no amicable solution is found, NRW should regulate its holidays independently in the future.

In this year, the last school day before the summer holidays is on July 5 for the approximately 2.55 million pupils and students in NRW. School resumes again on August 21. In the past two years, the summer holidays started in June. From 2023 to 2029, the summer holidays in NRW will begin on changing dates in July.

Since Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg always reserve the latest weeks in the time corridor for their summer holidays, these states could also send their students on a two-week Easter break, laments the FDP. Families from NRW would also benefit from Easter holidays or more flexible leave periods. In the main holiday season, young families have to face enormous price increases. Lastly, there were Easter holidays in NRW in 2018 and 1966.

FDP draft resolution

1. The FDP state faction in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) is dissatisfied with the "permanent exceptional status" of Bavaria and Baden-Württemperg, as they feel it disadvantages families in NRW during summer holiday schedules.
2. The FDP opposition has presented a draft resolution for discussion in the parliament, criticizing these two states for not participating in the rolling procedure, and demanding "attractive and fair summer holiday schedules for all."
3. NRW Minister-President Hendrik Wüst (CDU) is urged to intervene, requesting the participation of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg in the rolling procedure to avoid their continued stance on their exceptional status.
4. While other 14 federal states alternate summer holiday schedules, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg insist on their unique status, which the FDP faction finds unacceptable.
5. In the event of an unresolved disagreement, NRW may consider regulating its holidays independently in the future.
6. The FDP also suggests that Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg consider sending their students on a two-week Easter break, providing families from NRW with additional holiday opportunities and relief from high prices during the main holiday season, as Easter holidays were last observed in NRW in 2018 and 1966.

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