Marcos approves adoption of 3-term school calendar beginning SY 2026-2027

MANILA, March 29 ------ President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved the proposed shift from the current four-quarter academic calendar to a “three-term school year” beginning school year 2026-2027, in a bid to improve the country’s education outcomes.

The directive was issued upon the recommendation of the Economic and Development (ED) Council during its 8th meeting, held on Thursday at Malacañang Palace. The shift from four grading periods or quarters to a three-term academic calendar aims to “address the long-standing issue of compressed learning periods caused by class suspensions due to natural hazards and overlapping major events,” according to the Presidential Communications Office.

Under the new policy, the current four-term structure will be streamlined into three terms, each with dedicated instructional and assessment periods. The first term will cover 54 instructional days and a 10-day assessment period, including a five-day opening block. The second term will include 55 instructional days and a 10-day assessment period, while the third term will have 61 instructional days and a shorter six-day assessment period. Education officials said the structure is expected to benefit learners by providing longer, uninterrupted instructional days, reducing lesson fragmentation, allowing structured recovery periods, and improving the overall pacing of instruction.

The shift also aims to benefit teachers as it will remove one full grading cycle, introduce dedicated consolidation periods and provide scheduled wellness intervals to reduce recurring workload pressures. The Department of Education (DepEd) has indicated that the new academic calendar is targeted for implementation starting School Year 2026–2027.

The Palace said that while the proposal has not undergone pilot testing, consultations have been conducted with various educational institutions prior to its presentation. The proposal was earlier met with concerns from some lawmakers and teachers’ groups, arguing that consultations were insufficient and that many educators remain unconvinced the three-term system will reduce their workload.

In response, the education department said it is “actively conducting consultations and will continue engaging education officials and stakeholders.” “The intent of the proposal is to support broader reforms that simplify planning, improve the use of academic time, and reduce workload pressures on teachers,” it said in a statement last month. Meanwhile, Marcos Jr. also underscored the importance of maintaining the mandated 180-day contact period for both teachers and students despite potential disruptions. “President Marcos also instructed the DepEd to ensure that the proposed shorter school structure adequately supports struggling learners, aligns with the current semestral system in Senior High School, and prepares schools nationwide for full implementation,” the PCO said.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com