From La Rentrée to the many bank holidays that dot the calendar, here are all the important dates that parents and pupils need to know about regarding the 2024/25 school year in Monaco and the south of France.
The summer holidays won’t last forever and it will soon be back to school for pupils in the Principality and beyond.
While many of the French and Monaco dates coincide, there are some notable differences on the 2024/25 calendar. For example, students in the Alpes-Maritimes and the Var are the first to return to the classroom, with a 2nd September back-to-school date. In Monaco, La Rentrée won’t be until a full week later, on 9th September.
Come the Toussaint half term, French Riviera state schools will shut for a two-week break at the end of the school day on 18th October. In Monaco, pupils will have to wait until 23rd October before they are free, but all students will be back in school for 4th November.
Next up on the calendar is Armistice Day on 11th November, which marks the end of WWI. It is a jour férie (bank holiday) in France, but not the Principality. Though the Monegasque population doesn’t celebrate this day, a Monaco-specific celebration day occurs a few days later on 19th November for the Fête du Prince, Monaco’s National Day. Monaco residents also have 9th December off for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
The Christmas holidays will take place between the end of lessons on 20th December and 6th January 2025, when schools in the Riviera and Monaco will be back in class.
To brighten up January, Monaco celebrates Saint Dévote Day on 27th with a bank holiday in honour of the nation’s patron saint.
Next up is the winter half term. Establishments in Monaco and the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (PACA) region will be closed from the end of school on 7th February until 24th February. This will be followed by the Easter break, when all children are out from the end of the day on 4th April until 22nd April.
May is a big holiday month, kicking off on 1st of the month with a bank holiday for the Fête du Travail, or Labour Day. Schools in both the Principality and PACA will take this day off.
The French side also has a bank holiday scheduled for 8th May, a date commemorating the end of WWII in Europe, while the Monaco population will enjoy an extended break from 22nd to 26th May for the Grand Prix.
Ascension on 29th May rounds out the month’s holidays for both nations, though the French make it a pont, giving themselves the Friday free as well.
In 2025, Pentecost Monday, another bank holiday, falls on 9th June ahead of another Monaco-only holiday on 19th June for the Fête Dieu, or Corpus Christi Day.
The 2024/25 academic year in both Monaco and PACA will come to an end after classes on 4th July.
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Photo source: Mike Fox, Unsplash