The Department of Education issued DepEd Order No. 09, s. 2026 to introduce the Three‑Term School Calendar in basic education starting School Year 2026–2027. This policy changes how the school year is structured. It aims to protect teaching time, reduce class disruptions, and support learning recovery. The shift responds to long‑standing issues seen under the four‑quarter calendar.
Under the new setup, the school year is divided into three terms with clearer blocks for teaching, assessment, and school activities. Each term includes dedicated time for instruction and a separate end‑of‑term period for grading, training, and wellness. This approach seeks to improve learning continuity while easing the workload of teachers. More importantly, it places learner progress and well‑being at the center of school planning.
The Three‑Term School Calendar Explained
According to DepEd Order 09 (s. 2026), the Three-Term School Calendar provides an organized structure that protects instructional time while supporting enriched teaching-learning experiences. Further, the department believes that this reform will give longer and more coherent academic terms. It will allow deeper mastery of competencies and more deliberate pacing of lessons.
More importantly, the three‑term school calendar consists of three blocks, namely the Opening Block, Instructional Block, and End‑of‑Term Block. The Opening Block is present only at the beginning of the school year and focuses on Homeroom Guidance/Values Formation, the administration of BOSY assessments, parent orientation, and similar activities. This is followed by 62 to 63 classroom days under the Instructional Block, while the remaining 8 to 10 days per term are allotted for the End‑of‑Term Block. Activities during the End‑of‑Term Block include grade computation, accomplishment of school forms, implementation of the ARAL Program, school‑initiated programs, intra‑school academic, sports, and cultural competitions, and teacher training such as INSET and LAC sessions.
In addition, the End‑of‑Term Block in each term is subdivided into groups of days with specific activities, as shown in Table 1 below.
| Days | Activities |
|---|---|
| Days 1-5 | 1. Academic Recovery for Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program 2. Computation of Grades and Accomplishment of School Forms 3. Co-Curricular and Extra-Curricular Activities |
| Day 6 | Distribution of Progress Report or Performance Report |
| Days 7-8 | 1. In-Service Training for Teachers (INSET) 2. Wellness Break for Learners |
| Days 9-10 | Wellness Break for Teachers |
What is DepEd Order No. 009, s. 2026?
DepEd Order No. 009, s. 2026 is a policy issued by the Department of Education that introduces the Three‑Term School Calendar in basic education. It applies starting School Year 2026–2027. The Order sets clear rules on how schools should organize class days, assessments, breaks, and school activities across three academic terms. It replaces the four‑quarter calendar to improve learning continuity and school planning.
DepEd Order No. 009, s. 2026 is grounded on Republic Act No. 7797, as amended by Republic Act No. 11480, which requires a minimum number of class days per school year. The Order complies with this legal requirement while restructuring the school calendar. It also aligns with the Quality Basic Education Development Plan (Q‑BEDP) 2025–2035, the Eight‑Point Socioeconomic Agenda of the national government, and DepEd’s Five‑Point Reform Agenda. Through this alignment, the policy supports national goals on learning recovery, equity, and quality education.
The main purpose of the Order is to protect instructional time and reduce frequent class disruptions. DepEd aims to give learners longer and more focused periods for learning. The policy also seeks to reduce teacher workload fragmentation caused by repeated activities and short assessment cycles. Another key goal is to strengthen the Academic Recovery for Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program by giving schools enough time for remediation and enrichment. Overall, the Order aims to improve learning outcomes while supporting the well‑being of teachers and learners.
Summary of School Calendar 2026-2027 (Three-Term)
DepEd Order No. 009, s. 2026 institutionalizes the Three‑Term School Calendar in basic education starting School Year 2026–2027. Also, the main goal is to protect instructional time, support learning recovery, and reduce teacher workload fragmentation by replacing the four‑quarter structure with a more coherent three‑term system.
This reform directly supports:
- The Academic Recovery for Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program
- DepEd’s Five‑Point Reform Agenda
- The national goal of improving learning outcomes and equity
| Term | Period | Class Days | Key Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | June 8 – Sept 15, 2026 | 69 | BOSY activities, baseline assessments, and initial remediation |
| Term 2 | Sept 16 – Dec 18, 2026 | 65 | Sustained instruction, MOSY assessments |
| Term 3 | Jan 4 – Apr 8, 2027 | 67 | EOSY assessments, graduation/moving‑up preparation |
School Calendar 2026-2027
The biggest change for the upcoming school opening is the implementation of the three‑term calendar. Under this system, schools are required to conduct grade computation for only three terms, instead of four as practiced in the four‑quarter system. In addition, intra‑school activities such as sports contests, the Festival of Talents, and the School Press Conference are only permitted during the End‑of‑Term Block. If you want to see a sample of a class program, you can visit our post entitled “DepEd Sample of Class and Teacher’s Program or Time Allotment in Three-Term School Calendar”. For complete details about the school calendar, please refer to the attached PDF.
DO_s2026_009r-22-28For a full copy of DepEd Order 09 (s. 2026), you can download it here.