The Department of Education (DepEd) clarified that private schools will not be required to follow the incoming three-term school calendar that public schools are set to adopt starting School Year 2026–2027.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara said private institutions retain discretion over their academic schedules as long as they comply with national standards.

“Mas maluwag talaga sa private schools,” Angara told reporters. 

“They are free to have their own school year… basta sumusunod sila sa curriculum at minimum number of school days,” he added.

The clarification comes amid questions over DepEd’s plan to reorganize the academic year into three terms. 

Angara also stressed that the model is not a trimester system, saying subjects do not change per term.
“In a trimester, kada term iba-ibang subjects,” he said. “Sa three-term, grading period lang siya… pareho lang ang subjects.”

According to Angara, some private schools have already expressed interest in adopting the new schedule voluntarily.

Earlier, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) said the shift lacked genuine consultation, disputing DepEd’s assertion that it conducted orientation activities nationwide.

“If there was truly broad consultation, why were so many teachers surprised by such a major policy shift?” ACT chairperson Ruby Bernardo said in a statement. 

She argued that DepEd’s “orientation cascades” do not constitute meaningful consultation.

DepEd defended the three-term setup as part of efforts to address lost instructional days and improve scheduling predictability. 

Data from Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) showed that public schools lost as many as 53 school days in SY 2023–2024 due to various disruptions such as weather disturbances and other non-academic interruptions.

The shift is scheduled to take effect in public schools in June 2026.

Angara said private schools may keep their current semester-based calendars or modify them as needed, as long as they meet DepEd’s minimum requirements.