September 1 is celebrated as the first day of the new academic year in a number of countries around the world. This date is especially widespread in the post-Soviet space and a part of Central Europe.
Modern.az reports that among the countries where classes start on September 1 for 2026 are Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Moldova, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Estonia, and Lithuania. In Europe, school calendars vary by country, and in some states, the start date may change depending on the region.
The number of countries in Europe starting the school year on September 1, 2026, is 15. These are Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Moldova, Ukraine, and France. According to data for EU member states, France, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, and Slovenia start school on September 1. In other countries, the date varies by region.
In some countries, a single date is not applied across the entire territory. For example, in Germany, Spain, Italy, and Austria, the start of the school year depends on the regions. In Asia, most schools in China also traditionally start the new academic year on September 1. In Russia, September 1 is celebrated as “Knowledge Day” and is considered the beginning of the new school year.
It should be noted that in Azerbaijan, the 2026-2027 academic year in general education institutions will start on September 15. Therefore, Azerbaijan is not among the countries where the school year starts on September 1.
Thus, countries returning to school on September 1 are mainly concentrated in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the post-Soviet space.
Nicat Rüstəm
