Summer break starts for 18M students

ANKARA

Nine long months of school behind them, some 18 million students in Turkey have cast off their uniforms and are looking forward to a long summer holiday.

Pre-school, elementary, middle and high school students got their report cards on June 13 as they headed into almost three months off.

Syrian refugee children were also among kids who received their report cards.

High school seniors have the extra thrill of graduation as well as some anxiety over exams to move into higher education.

Three rounds of university entrance exams are slated for this weekend, including a foreign language component.

Exam results are due out on July 18, according to the state authority for standardized testing.

After summer vacation, students this year are set to return to school a week earlier, on Sept. 9, as announced by National Education Minister Ziya Selçuk.

The change is meant to boost efficiency in Turkey’s education system, he said when announcing the change in May.