A typical school year consists of approximately 36 to 40 weeks of instruction, depending on the country and educational system. In the United States, the school year usually has about 36 weeks of instruction, equating to roughly 180 school days. In the United Kingdom, the school year usually encompasses about 39 weeks, broken into three terms with breaks in between. These weeks include the active teaching time and exclude weekends and holidays. The exact number of weeks can vary slightly due to regional holidays and school district variations.