The Economic and Development (ED) Council has approved the Department of Education (DepEd) trimester school calendar starting School Year 2026-2027.
The approval was made during the council meeting held on March 19.
The new system is expected to improve learning outcomes and address disruptions in the school calendar.
What is the DepEd trimester system?
The trimester system is a proposed school calendar where the academic year will be divided into three terms instead of four grading periods.
Under this system, students will have longer and more continuous learning periods.
Read also: DepEd Considers “4+1” Blended Learning Model to Reduce Classroom Congestion
What is the schedule of the trimester?
The 201 school days will be divided into three terms:
- First Term: June to September
- Second Term: September to December
- Third Term: January to March
Each term will have around 54 to 61 days of classes, including some breaks for activities and programs.
Why is DepEd implementing the trimester system?
According to the government, the new calendar aims to:
- Maximize learning time
- Reduce class disruptions due to weather and events
- Improve student learning and recovery
- Provide more structured lessons
The proposal also follows recommendations from EDCOM 2 to improve the education system.
Read also: DepEd: 4-Day Workweek Will Not Apply to Public Schools
What are the benefits of the new school calendar?
The trimester system may provide the following benefits:
- Longer and uninterrupted class periods
- Better learning pacing for students
- Time for teachers’ training and development
- Dedicated schedule for catch-up programs
When will the new calendar start?
The DepEd trimester school calendar will start in School Year 2026-2027.
Further guidelines and implementation details are expected to be released by DepEd.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
It is a new school system that divides the academic year into three terms.
It will be implemented starting School Year 2026-2027.
There will be 201 school days in total.
There will be three terms instead of four grading periods.
To improve learning outcomes and reduce disruptions in classes.