Education Ministry releases 2026 school calendar, lists term dates and national activities

The Ministry of Education and Sports has released the official schools and other institutions calendar for 2026, outlining term dates, holidays, national school activities and compliance guidelines for all government and private institutions.

The calendar was announced by the Permanent Secretary, Dr Kedrace Turyagyenda, and applies to pre-primary, primary and post-primary schools across the country.

According to the calendar, Term I will run from February 2, 2026, to May 1, 2026, covering 89 days. 

Term II will start on May 25, 2026, and end on August 21, 2026, also lasting 89 days. 

Term III will run from September 14, 2026, to December 4, 2026, with 82 days of learning. In total, schools will have 260 instructional days in 2026.

First term holidays will run from May 2 to May 24, 2026. Second term holidays will start on August 22 and end on September 13, 2026. Third term holidays will run from December 5, 2026, to January 31, 2027, giving learners a longer end-of-year break.

The ministry also outlined proposed reporting dates. Senior One students will be placed between January 29 and January 30, 2026, and report on February 16, 2026. Senior Five students will be placed on February 12 and February 13, 2026, and report on February 23, 2026.

The calendar includes key secondary school activities. School-based music, dance and drama competitions will take place in the first term, while district and regional competitions will be held in the second term. The national music, dance and drama festival will take place during second term holidays.

Science fairs will be conducted in the first term at school and regional levels, with the national science fair scheduled for July. The national agriculture education show will run from July 7 to July 12, 2026. National secondary schools debate championships will take place from August 24 to August 28, 2026.

The ministry directed that teaching must start on time and that school terms should not be shortened without written permission. Schools will operate from 8:00am to 4:30pm, while pre-primary schools will close at 12:00pm. 

Head teachers of boarding schools in Kampala are advised to stagger reporting and closing dates over two to three days to ease traffic congestion.

The ministry warned that all institutions must comply with the calendar, noting that any changes without approval will attract disciplinary action