In addition to shifting school vacations to mid-June, a ministry report also suggests adding a week-long break in April.File photo. Currently, schools generally conclude the academic year at the end of May. Image: Henrietta Hassinen / YleYle News14:40Finland's Ministry of Education has submitted its report about proposed changes to school summer holidays.The proposal calls for shortening the minimum duration of summer vacation to nine weeks and delaying the start of the break by about two weeks to mid-June.Currently, schools generally conclude the academic year at the end of May.The ministry's report also calls for a new spring vacation at the end of April. The proposed changes would not affect the current policy of 190 school days per year.The aim of the spring break, according to the ministry, would be to break up the long spring term, particularly after the proposed later start to summer vacation."The even distribution of holidays during the school year would support students' recovery, rest, and rejuvenation," the report read.However, the proposal offers schools the option to leave summer breaks as they currently stand. In such cases, the days off needed for the proposed spring break would need to be taken from other vacation periods, like the autumn, Christmas or winter breaks.Education Minister Anders Adlercreutz (SPP) — who has advocated delaying summer vacations, as well as adding an April break — requested the report's preparation.Issue likely in hands of next governmentThe ministry's report is now headed for a consultation round. But as the proposed changes are not part of the government programme, making the changes official would require agreement between the coalition's four parties. However, the Finns Party and the Christian Democrats have not been enthusiastic about the idea.Adlercreutz has said the holiday changes could be implemented in 2028, at the earliest — when the next government is in office.According to the ministry, the vacation changes would improve the well-being of families and ease their summer planning. It has said the added week off in April would help pupils cope better.The teachers' union OAJ has opposed changing the holiday period, but the tourism industry has supported it.Citizens' opinions about the issue also appear to be split. In a survey commissioned by rural paper Maaseudun Tulevaisuus last year, 37 percent of Finns supported the idea, and 41 percent opposed it.The ministry's report also pointed to an OECD report that suggested long school vacations increase educational inequality. It said children in more vulnerable positions get less stimuli during a long summer holiday than their less vulnerable counterparts.