It also aims to emphasize that the reform aims to streamline the use of time for teaching and learning in schools.
In a statement on Monday, May 4, the Department of Education (DepEd) said that it is actively engaging with stakeholders to reiterate the key features of the new three-term school calendar, which will be implemented starting School Year 2026–2027.
According to Education Secretary Sonny Angara, this change is part of a broader effort to address long-standing challenges in the school calendar—especially weather-related disruptions that affect continuous and effective learning.
“The objective is to ensure that learning is delivered in a more organized and consistent manner throughout the school year,” he said.
Under the three-term school calendar, the school year will be divided into three clear terms, with an Opening Block at the beginning of the school year for learner profiling, assessment, and school readiness.
Each term will then have an Instructional Block focused on continuous teaching and learning; and End-of-Term Block for academic intervention, summarization of learning, and professional development of teachers.
The new academic calendar also introduces scheduled breaks between terms, which gives teachers time for lesson planning, assessment, and other professional activities that support more effective teaching in the classroom.
The purpose of this structure is to provide more uninterrupted teaching time, to better pacing and deliver lessons more effectively.
DepEd previously explained that the reform is a response to the repeated interruptions that affect learning and by clearly organizing the school year into specific parts, the department said it aims to ensure more continuous and focused teaching time, allocate specific time for remediation and support for students, and organize school activities and teachers’ duties throughout the year.
DepEd stressed that this reform is not a transition to the trimester system, but rather an adjustment of the current school year into just three grading periods, while maintaining the same subjects and curriculum.
The department also clarified that the three-term school calendar will be implemented in public schools only.
Meanwhile, private schools are free to implement their own academic calendar, as long as they adhere to the existing curriculum standards and the required number of school days, DepEd noted.
The development of the policy went through consultations at various levels of the Department and schools, including engagement with teachers, school leaders, and other stakeholders, they also said.
Meanwhile, as part of the forthcoming implementation, the education department has already conducted orientations for Regional Offices and Schools Division Offices.
Orientations for school heads and teachers nationwide are currently underway, which will guide schools on the changes in assessment, lesson planning, and other operational aspects of the new school calendar.
The department added that it will continue to monitor the implementation and adaptation of the policy based on feedback from schools to ensure that it effectively supports students and teachers.