A day school is an institution where children are given educational instruction only during the day and after which children return to their homes.

Schools are of two broad kinds; day school and boarding school. Most children around the world attend day schools throughout their schooling. A few of them might attend day schools for most of their schooling while attending a few years in a boarding school. However students attending boarding schools throughout their schooling are very much in the minority.

Day schools are an important part of a child's growing-up and of family life in all societies. They are a central part of communities and societies. They allow children to acquire education and yet remain rooted to their family and culture.

Elitist notions of education have always rated boarding schools higher than day schools. However, the pervasive importance of day schools in community-building and in societies in fact makes day schools significantly more important and fruitful than any other form of educational institution.

The term day school is also increasingly used for a one-off series of lectures or classes, taking place on a single day, usually on a particular topic and usually directed at adult learners with little time to spare.

See also

• Country Day Schools