Summer beckons as Turkish students wave school goodbye

Nine long months of school behind them, some 18 million Turkish students are casting off their uniforms and looking forward to a long summer holiday.

Preschool, primary, and secondary students are getting their report cards on Friday as they head into almost three months off.

High school seniors have the extra thrill of graduation as well as some anxiety over exams to move into higher education.

Three rounds of university entrance exams are slated for this weekend, including a foreign language component.

Exam results are due out on July 18, according to the state authority for standardized testing.

After the lazy days of summer vacation, students this year are set to return to school a week earlier, on Sept. 9, as announced by National Education Minister Ziya Selçuk.

The change is meant to boost efficiency in Turkey's education system, he said when announcing the change in May.