President Marcos approves three-term school calendar starting next school year

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has approved the shift from a four-term to a three-term academic calendar for public schools starting in academic year 2026 to 2027.

The directive was issued upon the recommendation of the Economic and Development (ED) Council during its eigth meeting held on March 19 at Malacañan Palace, where Marcos emphasized the need to fast-track approvals for priority government projects alongside key sectoral reforms.

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 calamities and overlapping major events.

Under the plan, the current four-term structure will be streamlined into three terms, each with 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 have 61 instructional days and a shorter six-day assessment period.

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 pacing of instruction.

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.

While the proposal has not undergone pilot testing, consultations have been conducted with various educational institutions prior to its presentation.

The President emphasized the importance of maintaining the mandated 180-day contact period for both teachers and students, even amid potential disruptions.

President Marcos also instructed the DepEd to ensure that the proposed shorter school structure adequately supports struggling learners and aligns with the current semestral system in Senior High School.

The approved reform is part of the administration’s broader efforts to strengthen the quality of education while ensuring resilience and continuity amid recurring disruptions.