The Department of Education is studying a possible transition to a trimestral school calendar as part of efforts to improve how learning time is structured and delivered across the school year.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the proposal is being pushed to support a more balanced distribution of academic, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities while ensuring a more strategic implementation of the curriculum.
“Itinutulak natin ito upang magkaroon ng mas mahahabang, tuloy-tuloy na panahon ng pagkatuto, mas maayos na pacing ng mga aralin, at mas mabahing administrative burden para sa ating mga guro. Sa ganitong paraan, napapangalagaan natin ang kalidad ng edukasyon (We are pushing this so there will be longer and more flexible instructional periods, improved lesson pacing, and lower administrative burden for teachers. In this way, we are improving the quality of education),” Angara said in a statement released Saturday.
Angara said the initiative is grounded on findings from the Second Congressional Commission on Education (Edcom 2), which has been assessing reforms aimed at strengthening the country’s education system.
Under the proposed setup, the school year will be divided into three academic terms, with each term designed to provide longer blocks for both instruction and enrichment activities. DepEd said this structure would allow teachers to maintain lesson delivery with fewer interruptions compared to the current system.
For School Year 2026-2027, DepEd is looking at applying the system across 201 school days, arranged to allow longer uninterrupted teaching periods and improved lesson pacing.
DepEd also noted that scheduled breaks between each trimester are expected to give teachers more time for planning, assessments, and other professional responsibilities, which could support better instructional delivery.
Based on the calendar framework being considered, classes would begin in early June, with the first trimester running from June to September, followed by the second trimester from September to December, and the third trimester from January until late March.
