Moroccan families in Europe get a shared autumn break as three countries’ school holidays overlap
Autumn break begins this Saturday, October 17, in France and much of the Netherlands. Belgium follows on Monday. The calendar coincidence gives Moroccan families in Europe a shared window to travel to the Kingdom.
This Saturday, October 17, marks the start of a special period for Moroccans living in Europe. Within a few days, schools in three major countries hosting the diaspora will close for the autumn holidays. It is a chance to see relatives in Morocco without having to wait for the Christmas break.
In France, all mainland academies are affected. Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Lille and Bordeaux: pupils go on holiday on the same date, unlike the winter and spring breaks, which are staggered by region. According to the official calendar published by the Ministry of National Education, classes resume on Monday, November 2. Families therefore have two full weeks, including weekends, to plan a trip.
In the Netherlands, the calendar is more complicated. The Central and Southern regions, which include Utrecht, Rotterdam, Eindhoven and Maastricht, are on holiday from October 17 to 25. In the North, the break began a week earlier, on October 10, and ends on the 18th. These dates, published by the Dutch government, are indicative: some schools may follow a different calendar.
Belgium joins the break on Monday
In French-speaking Belgium, pupils get two weeks off, from Monday, October 19, to Friday, October 30, plus the weekends. Monday, November 2, is also a public holiday at the schools concerned, so classes resume on Tuesday, November 3. These dates are set out in the official decree of the government of the French Community.
The situation is different in Flanders, where the autumn break is scheduled for November 2 to 8. Moroccan families living in Antwerp therefore do not have the same school calendar as those in Brussels whose children attend French-language schools.
For MRE, the main benefit is the overlap between the breaks. From October 19 to 25, pupils in France, French-speaking Belgium, and the Central and Southern regions of the Netherlands are all on holiday at the same time. This could make family reunions in Morocco easier, particularly when relatives live in several European countries.
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The question of travel remains. In France, a notice of a strike by flight crew had threatened departures to Morocco from October 17 to 21 before it was suspended.
