President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has approved a shift to a three-term school calendar for public schools beginning School Year 2026–2027, aimed at improving learning and avoiding disruptions.
The reform, backed by the Economic and Development Council, replaces the current four-quarter system with three longer terms to address lost class days due to suspensions and overlapping events.
Each term will have extended instructional periods—54, 55, and 61 days—plus assessment periods, allowing more continuous learning and better pacing.
Education officials said the change will reduce lesson fragmentation and give students more uninterrupted study time.
Teachers will also benefit from fewer grading cycles, added training hours, and scheduled wellness breaks to ease workload.
Marcos Jr. urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to ensure that the proposed structure supports struggling learners as he stressed the need to maintain the required 180 school days.
The DepEd targets full rollout in SY 2026–2027, with consultations already conducted.IMT
