h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Germany (west): school starts depending on how old pupils are : for the younger ones at 7.45 - 8.00 ( depends on the school), older pupils might start at 7.15.Breaks between 1/2, 3/4 and 5/6 are 5 min, 15 to 20 min btween 2/3, 4/5 and 6/7, no lunch break, because you usually can't get a lunch at a German school.

The Netherlands: it varies, in my basisschool (primary school, i guess) it was 08:30

In my first secondary school (middelbare school) it was also 08:30 with lessons of 45 minutes

In my second secondary school (middelbare school) it still is 08:15 with lessons of 60 minutes

((btw: i have now idea wether or not i got the schooltypes right!))((the dutch name's are right, that i know

In Denmark school starts at 08:00, which was always much too early for me.

in ireland primary school was from 9:30 - 3:00
and secondary school was from 9:00 - 4:00 (except on fridays when it was til 3:20)

In Ireland, school generally starts at 8:50 for 9:00.

You've already had some answers from Germany. School starts far too early here. Some schools start at 7:40, some use the period before school starts for extra subjects, as Yelbakk has already mentioned.

They cram everything into the mornings, provide no lunch and the kids get home at 1 or 2.

Times vary from state to state, from town to town, and from school to school - in a town with a large catchment area like ours, for example, the many buses from surrounding villages have to be taken into account.

Kids leave home to arrive for their first lesson (which need not necessarily be the first lesson of the day - they have free periods), and leave whenever their last lesson has finished. Which means that times vary from day to day, which is why German mothers are so stressed. I long for the system of my childhood, when our mothers could count on us being at school, and under supervision, from 9 am to 4 pm, with lunch provided. We had no free lessons, either - the time was packed.

In Germany, the higher grades (grade 11-13, about age 17-19) have lessons in the afternoon, but have to find their own lunch, or go home, as do the teachers.

When my oldest started school, in 1988, this was the last year (for our state) where school also took place on a Saturday.

The whole German school system is totally child-unfriendly.

I have also au paired in France and Spain.

In France they also come and go as lessons predict (even at age 12, the girl in the family I au paired for had free lessons and came home at varying times) School started at 8 and finished for the usual long lunch hour from 12 - 2. I can't remember what time the young lady came home.

In Spain, the local schools went on to 6 pm. The midday break was very long, though. Very little happens in Spain at all between 12 and 5 pm. Azahar may know more about this - it's over 30 years since I lived there.

UK: Primary school was 9am to 3pm
Secondary school was 8.45am to 4pm (though with my extra-curricular stuff and homework it wasn't unusual for me to be in at 7.30 or 8 and stay til 6 to 7.30)
University: Wednesdays 10am to 1pm and nothing else

Ah, another arts student ...

Primary school, UK: 8.55 to 3.15. Which kind of means I should be at the school gate in 5 minutes ...

Mol