School holidays in New Zealand 2024, holidays and free days

In this article we cover the following topic: school holidays in New Zealand 2024. You will find out the dates of holiday periods and additional free days for schoolchildren. All-Holidays.Info will also tell you what additional non-school days may be introduced in the 2024 academic year.

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Distinctive features of the New Zealand school system

In New Zealand, schools must be open to students for a certain period of time. Traditionally, it is considered half the day. In 2024, schools should be open to students 384 times a day.

School operating rules are governed by the Education (When State Schools Must Be Open) Regulations 2022. The document determines the work schedule of educational institutions in the 2023 and 2024 academic years. According to it, schools must be closed to students for:

  • School break.
  • Public holidays.
  • Easter Tuesday.
  • Saturdays and Sundays.
  • Anniversary day of the city in which the school is located.

If there is a tragic incident, a traumatic event, or the loss of a student or staff member, the school may be closed. Only the school board can make such a decision. It also determines how long students and staff are excused from attending school.

Schools may be closed to students for other reasons. In these cases, the academic half days are compensated by shifting the date of the summer holidays. Students may be excused from attending classes for the following reasons:

  • When holding local events, concerts, exhibitions.
  • Teacher training.
  • Conducting on-the-job training days.
  • Conducting days only for teachers.

School holidays in New Zealand 2024

IMPORTANT! Below we present the school holiday schedule in New Zealand 2024. The exact start and end dates of the summer holidays are determined by the number of school half days. Please check with your school for exact dates!

Summer holidays 2023-2024 begin on Thursday 21 December or earlier (depending on the decision of the school administration). The end of summer holidays falls on the period from January 28 to February 7, 2024.

The first day of school for the 2024 school year will be between Monday, January 29 and Wednesday, February 7.

  • Autumn holidays: from Saturday 13 April to Sunday 28 April 2024.
  • Winter holidays: from Saturday 6 July to Sunday 21 July 2024.
  • Spring break: Saturday 28 September to Sunday 13 October 2024.

Summer holidays for the 2024-2025 school year will last 5 or 6 weeks, depending on the school. They will begin no later than Saturday 21 December 2024. Last day of summer holidays: no earlier than Sunday 26 January and no later than Thursday 5 February.

Additional free days free from classes

In addition to school holidays, children in New Zealand take a break from school on public holidays. There will be six such days in 2024. The remaining public holidays in 2024 fall during the school holidays. Below is a list of holidays for schoolchildren and teachers:

  • Good Friday – March 29th.
  • Easter Monday – April 1st.
  • Easter Tuesday (not a public holiday) – April 2.
  • The King’s birthday is Monday, June 3rd.
  • Matariki – Friday, June 28th.
  • Labor Day is Monday, October 28th.

IMPORTANT! In some cases, additional days of rest may be introduced. They are usually associated with sporting or entertainment events. Check with the administration of the school or your locality for information.

Anniversary days in New Zealand

Below is a list of New Zealand anniversary days in 2024. Schools in the affected areas are closed. Classes can only be held in exceptional cases. For convenience, the dates are given in chronological order.

  • 22 January 2024 (Monday) – Wellington’s Jubilee Day.
  • 29 January 2024 (Monday) – Auckland/Northland Jubilee Day.
  • January 29, 2024 (Monday) – Nelson’s Jubilee Day.
  • 11 March 2024 (Monday) – Taranaki Jubilee Day.
  • 25 March 2024 (Monday) – Otago Jubilee Day.
  • 2 April 2024 (Tuesday) – Southland Jubilee Day.
  • 25 October 2024 (Friday) – Hawke’s Bay Jubilee Day.
  • November 4, 2024 (Monday) – Marlborough Jubilee Day.
  • 15 November 2024 (Friday) – Canterbury Jubilee Day (Northern and Central Region).
  • December 2, 2024 (Monday) – Chatham Islands Anniversary Day.
  • December 2, 2024 (Monday) – Westland’s Anniversary Day.

In this publication, All-Holidays.Info covered the following topic: school holidays in New Zealand 2024. We also provided a complete list of additional days without classes and listed the anniversary days of 2024. Don’t forget to share this post with your friends!