THE DEPARTMENT of Education said on Monday that the shift to a three-term school calendar will help address frequent class disruptions and promote deeper learning in public schools nationwide.

The Cabinet-approved change will take effect in School Year 2026–2027.

DepEd Media Relations Head Dennis Legaspi said the reform aims to improve the quality of basic education and correct systemic inefficiencies, including the loss of up to 53 school days in SY 2023–2024.

“Ultimately, this reform ensures that every day in school contributes to deliberate and deep learning for both learners and teachers,” Legaspi said.

Under the revised calendar, the 201 mandated school days will be divided into three terms: June–September, September–December, and January–March. Each term will include:

Opening Block (5 days): Baseline assessments, learner profiling, and administrative preparations.

Instructional Block (60 days): Uninterrupted teaching and learning.

End-of-Term Block (2 weeks): Celebrations, extracurricular activities, targeted remediation, enrichment, teacher in-service training, and wellness breaks.

The new system will ease administrative loads, streamline grading cycles, and reduce reporting peaks, allowing educators to focus on teaching.

To maximize the benefits of the three-term calendar, DepEd will continue implementing reforms such as classroom construction, school-based feeding and nutrition programs, literacy interventions, textbook distribution, and improved measures on class suspensions.