EXPLAINER: How new three-term school calendar will work for SY 2026–2027

The Department of Education (DepEd) will implement a new three-term school calendar beginning School Year 2026–2027, introducing a restructured academic schedule designed to balance instruction, assessment, and student recovery periods.

Under the new system, classes will open on June 8, 2026, and end on April 8, 2027, covering a total of 201 class days. 

Unlike the previous two-semester format, the school year will be divided into three academic terms, each with three distinct components: an opening block, an instructional period, and end-of-term activities.

Each term follows a consistent pattern:

• Opening block – orientation, class organization, and initial activities at the start of the term
• Instructional period – the main teaching phase where lessons and competencies are delivered
• End-of-term activities – assessments, performance tasks, and consolidation of learning

This structure is designed to create clearer transitions between learning phases while ensuring that instruction is grouped into more focused blocks.

Term-by-term breakdown

• For Term 1, the school year begins with opening activities from June 8 to 11, followed by regular classes starting June 15 through September 1. End-of-term activities are scheduled from September 2 to 15, 2026.
• For Term 2, classes resume immediately after, with the instructional period running from September 16 to December 4, followed by end-of-term activities from December 7 to 18, 2026.
• For Term 3, classes restart after the year-end break, with instruction from January 4 to March 23, 2027, and final assessments and closing activities from March 24 to April 8, 2027.

Built-in breaks and pacing

DepEd said the new calendar introduces structured breaks between terms, allowing time for assessment, remediation, and student recovery before moving into the next learning cycle.

The agency said this design aims to:

• improve lesson pacing by dividing the school year into manageable segments
• reduce learning disruptions by organizing instruction into longer, uninterrupted blocks
• provide time for assessment and feedback at the end of each term

The three-term calendar is part of a broader reform effort to address learning gaps following years of disruptions in the education system.

DepEd said the schedule allows schools to integrate remediation programs, such as the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) initiative, within or alongside instructional periods.

Teachers will also follow a structured “budget of work,” which guides how lessons and competencies are distributed across each term, allowing flexibility when classes are disrupted.

The three-term school calendar will be implemented in all public schools nationwide starting School Year 2026–2027.

DepEd earlier said private schools may adopt the same structure, provided they comply with the required number of school days and existing policies. –NB, GMA News