Education ministry clarifies start date for third term

• Opening date: Third term will start on September 14, 2026.

• Closing date: Schools will close on December 4 after an 82-day term.

• Greater Kampala: Boarding schools in Kampala, Wakiso, Mpigi and Mukono must stagger opening and closing over two to three days.

• School calendar: Schools cannot change the official dates without written approval from the Education ministry Permanent Secretary.

The Ministry of Education has confirmed that third term for the 2026 academic year will start on September 14, dismissing information circulating on social media suggesting a change in the school calendar.

The ministry said on September 3 that the date applies to pre-primary, primary and secondary schools following the national curriculum.

Third term will run for 82 days and close on December 4, 2026.

The ministry issued the clarification after what it described as “misinformation” about the opening date spread on social media.

“The Ministry wishes to re-affirm to the public that 3rd Term for Academic Year 2026 shall start on Monday, 14th September 2026 and run for eighty-two (82) Days until Friday, 04th December 2026 for Pre-Primary, Primary, and Secondary Schools,” the statement reads.

Education ministry spokesperson Dennis Mugimba said the dates remain consistent with the 2026 school calendar communicated to education institutions by the Permanent Secretary on November 24, 2025.

The ministry also directed boarding schools in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area to stagger the return of learners over two to three days to reduce traffic congestion.

The directive covers schools in Kampala, Wakiso, Mpigi and Mukono.

Boarding schools in these areas should also stagger their closing dates for different classes over two to three days.

The measure seeks to ease the heavy traffic associated with the movement of learners at the beginning and end of school terms.

The ministry also warned schools following the national curriculum against changing the official dates without approval.

“Any School utilizing the National/Public Curriculum that seeks to deviate from the official school calendar must do so with written authorization from the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Sports,” the statement reads.

The ministry said it expects relevant government authorities to support enforcement of the official school calendar.