President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. has approved the adoption of a three-term school calendar for public schools, set to begin in School Year 2026–2027, replacing the current four grading periods for elementary to senior high school levels.
The change follows a recommendation from the Economic Development Council aims to improve learning continuity, reduce lesson fragmentation, and enhance educational outcomes, according to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).
“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,” the PCO said in a statement.
Under the new structure, each term will feature dedicated instructional and assessment periods. The first term will have 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 comprise 61 instructional days and a shorter six-day assessment period.
The three-term calendar is designed to mitigate the effects of class suspensions from typhoons, calamities, and national events, while ensuring students receive uninterrupted learning.
Education officials said the approved structure is expected to benefit learners by providing longer, uninterrupted instructional days, reducing lesson fragmentation, allowing structured recovery periods, and improving the overall instructional pacing.
“For teachers, the shift would remove one full grading cycle, introduce dedicated consolidation periods, embed up to 32 hours of professional development, and provide scheduled wellness intervals to reduce recurring workload pressures” the PCO added.
Marcos emphasized that the 180-day contact period between teachers and students must be maintained.
He also directed the Department of Education (DepEd) to ensure the new calendar supports struggling learners, aligns with the semestral system in Senior High School, and prepares schools nationwide for full implementation.
