NEWS

DepEd announces public schools shift trimester calendar 2026–2027

Technical Drafting | News Writer

News Highlights:

• “This is a proposal pa man din and we are in the process of consultation gathering information,” she added.

• DepEd highlighted that the calendar reform aims to address learning gaps exacerbated by the pandemic, where some subjects experienced up to 50% learning loss.

• The key goal of the proposed shift, according to DepEd, is to ensure fair workloads, prioritize the well-being of educators, and enhance the overall educational experience.

SURALLAH, South Cotabato—The Department of Education (DepEd) announced that starting the 2026–2027 school year, all public schools will shift to a trimester calendar, a move aimed at balancing workloads for both teachers and students.

Agnes Y. De Guzman, Assistant Principal of Polomolok National High School (Polomolok NHS) and Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) emphasized the trimester system proposal has been discussed with stakeholders and will not require additional spending, during the press briefing.

“According to the DepEd spokesperson Sonny Anggara, na-konsulta na ang mga stakeholders and wala silang gagastusin,” De Guzman said.

De Guzman stated that the proposal is still under review as consultations continue to gather additional feedback from educators.

“This is a proposal pa man din and we are in the process of consultation gathering information,” she added.

The trimester system will maintain the current 201 school days, with adjustments mainly affecting extracurricular activities, as it focuses on advancing the education.

“This focuses on enhancing education. Mababawasan ang extracurricular activities such as Palarong Pambansa and NSPC,” De Guzman noted.

She further emphasized that the change could provide a more balanced workload for both students and teachers, helping reduce stress.

“This system balances workload for both students and teachers,” De Guzman explained.

DepEd highlighted that the calendar reform aims to address learning gaps exacerbated by the pandemic, where some subjects experienced up to 50% learning loss.

“Basically what happened during the pandemic highlighted the learning gap, 50% learning loss in some subjects during pandemic and that was according to the deped, 50% has prompted the depEd that there should be a re-evaluation of the academic calendar,” De Guzman concluded.

The key goal of the proposed shift, according to DepEd, is to ensure fair workloads, prioritize the well-being of educators, and enhance the overall educational experience.