koolivaheaegade

Koolivaheaegade is a term in Estonian that refers to the holiday periods built into the Estonian school year. The phrase uses the genitive plural form koolivaheaegade to denote multiple such breaks and is commonly found in official calendars and educational discussions.

In Estonia the school year typically includes several major breaks: sügisvaheaeg (autumn break), talvevaheaeg (winter break), kevadevaheaeg (spring break), and suvevaheaeg (summer break). The exact dates and lengths of koolivaheaegade vary by municipality and school, but autumn and spring breaks are generally one week, winter break about two weeks, and summer break lasting several weeks to months.

Scheduling of koolivaheaegade follows national guidelines while allowing local adaptations by municipalities and schools. While the overall structure is widely observed, there can be regional differences in start and end dates and occasional adjustments for holidays, exams, or local events. The term is primarily used in administrative contexts, school calendars, and discussions about pupil workload and family planning.

Etymology and usage: koolivaheaegade combines kool (school) with vaheaeg (break), and the possessive/genitive form indicates multiple holiday periods. In everyday language, the singular koolivaheaeg refers to one school holiday period, while koolivaheaegade emphasizes the set of scheduled breaks across the academic year.