Winter Vacation Begins in Paraguay: Did the Ministry Ban School Homework?

According to the 2026 academic year calendar in Paraguay, the winter vacation is officially starting for primary and secondary school students. This vacation period, determined by the Ministry of Education and Science (MEC), will begin on Monday, July 13, and will last for two weeks. Students will complete this post-report card rest period, which will last until Friday, July 24, by returning to classes on Monday, July 27. Although changing these dates was previously brought up due to the Paraguay national football team's participation in the 2026 World Cup, no revisions were made. Officials announced that the calendar was kept in its initially determined form so that families could plan ahead.

Paraguay's achievement of qualifying for the World Cup after a 16-year absence had also reflected on the educational agenda during this period. Minister of Education Luis Ramírez had asked teachers and school principals to evaluate the tournament as an opportunity and to organize events in schools to support the national team. In fact, changing the official school calendar and moving the vacation forward due to the national team's match schedules was seriously discussed. However, this idea was ultimately not implemented, and it was decided to maintain the normal educational flow of the schools. Although the excitement regarding the topic decreased somewhat after Paraguay was eliminated by France in the tournament, recommendations to dedicate the vacation to sports activities continue.

With the arrival of the winter vacation, a classic question debated every year comes to the forefront again: Should students be given homework during the vacation, or should they be allowed to rest completely? Vicenta Cañete, General Director of the First and Second Cycle of MEC, made important statements on this matter to inform parents and educators. Cañete emphasized that merely fulfilling homework as a formality does not yield a positive academic outcome for students. Instead, she stated that exposing children to learning situations where they can truly develop their skills and benefit them is much more effective. Therefore, instead of assigning mandatory academic homework during the vacation period, children are encouraged to spend quality time with their families outside of school.

Ministry officials state that the two-week winter vacation is quite short for both students and teachers who have left an intense period behind. For this reason, it is argued that instead of filling this time with extra schoolwork, the focus should be on strengthening family bonds. Cañete suggests that families read books with their children and chat to allow them to express their emotions. It is emphasized that especially teenagers feeling rested and understood is of great importance for their psychological development. However, the situations of students who are lagging academically are not ignored; but the goal is to address this shortcoming through in-school strategies rather than private tutoring.

Supporting the vacation period with physical activities is also among the important topics recommended by the Ministry. Children are encouraged to play outdoors as much as possible in home gardens, parks, or sports fields. However, MEC points out that weather conditions must certainly be taken into account when organizing these activities. Meteorological warnings indicate that severe frost events and low temperatures are expected to be effective in the coming weeks. Therefore, officials warn families to check the weather conditions before going outside and to keep children in safe indoor areas during adverse weather.