The Department of Education (DepEd) is ramping up preparations for the rollout of a three-term school calendar in the 2026–2027 school year, coordinating with stakeholders to ensure a smooth transition aimed at improving learning flow in public schools.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the planned shift is meant to address long-standing issues in the current academic setup, particularly disruptions that affect the continuity of lessons.
“The objective is to ensure that learning is delivered in a more organized and consistent manner throughout the school year,” Angara said.
Under the proposed system, the school year will be divided into three terms, each structured into specific blocks. It will begin with an Opening Block focused on student assessment, learner profiling, and school readiness. This will be followed by an Instructional Block dedicated to sustain classroom teaching, and an End-of-Term Block for remediation, consolidation of lessons, and teacher-related tasks such as training and evaluation.
DepEd officials said the redesigned calendar is intended to create longer, uninterrupted teaching periods, allowing educators to better pace lessons and improve student comprehension. The structured breaks between terms are also expected to give teachers time for planning and academic assessment.
The department clarified that the change does not convert the system into a traditional trimester setup but simply reorganizes the existing school year into three grading periods. The curriculum, subjects, and required number of school days will remain unchanged.
While the three-term calendar will be required in public schools, private schools will continue to have flexibility in setting their academic schedules, provided they comply with national standards.