<P> In Australia , summer officially lasts from December to February , and therefore includes Christmas and New Year holidays . The dates of Australian school holidays ( the term used , rather than `` vacation '' ) are determined by each state 's Department of Education , the Christmas summer holiday being the longest in duration . Typically Christmas summer holiday in Australia last approximately six weeks , usually from late December ( depending on school level ) to late January . This is significantly shorter than North American summer holiday , but Australian schools also break for 2 weeks at Easter , and in June and September , giving students and teachers a total of twelve weeks of annual holidays . In many public schools , years 10 through 12 will finish before December 15 , allowing time to complete exam marking and results . Year 10 commonly finishes at the end of November , Year 11 at the end of October , and year 12 ( Senior Year ) also at mid or the end of October after 3 weeks of end - of - year exams . This can bring the normal 12 weeks of vacation to 20 weeks of vacation . The intervening periods of school operation without holidays are called `` School Terms '' , each term lasting approximately ten weeks . All Australian states have relatively similar holiday periods between each term , but there is the ability for this to change , as it did in the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games , when the first term in Victorian schools was shortened to 6 weeks and the other subsequently extended to 12 weeks due to severe disruptions to the public and private bus networks used by school students . Most private schools in Australia have up to four weeks of additional holidays , due to their longer teaching hours during term . </P>
<P> In Australia , summer officially lasts from December to February , and therefore includes Christmas and New Year holidays . The dates of Australian school holidays ( the term used , rather than `` vacation '' ) are determined by each state 's Department of Education , the Christmas summer holiday being the longest in duration . Typically Christmas summer holiday in Australia last approximately six weeks , usually from late December ( depending on school level ) to late January . This is significantly shorter than North American summer holiday , but Australian schools also break for 2 weeks at Easter , and in June and September , giving students and teachers a total of twelve weeks of annual holidays . In many public schools , years 10 through 12 will finish before December 15 , allowing time to complete exam marking and results . Year 10 commonly finishes at the end of November , Year 11 at the end of October , and year 12 ( Senior Year ) also at mid or the end of October after 3 weeks of end - of - year exams . This can bring the normal 12 weeks of vacation to 20 weeks of vacation . The intervening periods of school operation without holidays are called `` School Terms '' , each term lasting approximately ten weeks . All Australian states have relatively similar holiday periods between each term , but there is the ability for this to change , as it did in the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games , when the first term in Victorian schools was shortened to 6 weeks and the other subsequently extended to 12 weeks due to severe disruptions to the public and private bus networks used by school students . Most private schools in Australia have up to four weeks of additional holidays , due to their longer teaching hours during term . </P>
when do schools in australia have summer break
when do schools in australia have summer break
December to February
December to February