DepEd’s trimester plan for SY 2026–2027 gets ED Council nod

The Economy and Development (ED) Council has approved the proposal of the Department of Education (DepEd) to implement a trimester school calendar starting the school year 2026–2027.

In a statement, the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev), the mother agency of ED, confirmed the approval that was enacted on March 19 during the Council’s meeting which was chaired by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.

ED Council Vice Chair Arsenio Balisacan said that they support DepEd for pushing such efforts that would help improve the country’s education system.

“Our commitment to developing a globally competitive workforce begins with providing evidence-based solutions to bridge educational gaps in our country. We commend DepEd for continuously pursuing initiatives that support critical development priorities,” Balisacan said.

DEPDev stated that the policy initiated by the Education department aims to maximize the length of learning time that is often disrupted by weather conditions, holidays, and other class suspensions.

According to them, the policy also aligns with the recommendations of the Second Congressional Commission on Education to lay out specific plans that will ensure learning is not affected by class suspensions.

“By shifting from a four-grading-period system to a three-grading-period system, students will benefit from longer, uninterrupted instructional blocks, stabilizing their learning pace and recovery each term,” the statement added.

They also mentioned that the new school calendar will enable teachers to pursue professional development opportunities.

DepEd earlier announced in February that it was studying the implementation of a three-term school calendar for the upcoming school year.