DepEd eyes shift to trimester calendar for upcoming school year

The Department of Education has proposed transitioning the school system to a trimester schedule for the upcoming School Year 2026–2027.

In a press release dated Feb. 13, the shift is part of a "holistic approach" to education, ensuring academic, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities are balanced without sacrificing quality.

“Itinutulak natin ito upang magkaroon ng mas mahahabang, tuloy-tuloy na panahon ng pagkatuto, mas maayos na pacing ng mga aralin, at mas mababang administrative burden para sa ating mga guro. Sa ganitong paraan, napapangalagaan natin ang kalidad ng edukasyon,” said DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara.

The school year, which has 201 days, will be divided into three academic terms with longer periods. The goal, the department said, is to ensure uninterrupted lesson delivery.

In the proposal, the first trimester of the academic year will be from June to September, followed by the second trimester from September to December. Then, the third trimester will be from January to late March.

Terms are designed with 54 to 61 days of uninterrupted instruction, supplemented by enrichment blocks for teacher administrative tasks, student remediation, and wellness breaks.

According to their data, numerous events and paperwork often pull teachers away from their classes. To fix this, the new policy will blend celebrations directly into lessons like reading, science, and projects.

"Sa ganitong paraan, natututo ang mga mag-aaral tungkol sa mahahalagang paksa habang nagpapatuloy ang regular na klase. Maaari ring magsagawa ng mas maiikling reflection activities sa loob ng klase, thematic discussions, o curriculum-linked projects sa halip na whole-day events na nagsususpinde ng academic instruction," they said.

DepEd is expected to release formal policy guidelines soon.