Academic year for Gr VI-X and XII begins on April 1

PANAJI

Continuing with the revised academic calendar, the upcoming academic year 2026-27 will begin on April 1 for students of Classes VI to X and Class XII.

As in the previous year, the State government has decided not to include Classes I to V under the new system. For these primary classes, the academic year will commence on June 6.

The government has decided to continue implementing the Rules under the Goa School Education Act, 1984, which were notified last year. As per these Rules, the academic year for Classes VI to X and Class XII will run from April 1, 2026, to March 24, 2027. For Classes I to V and Class XI, the academic term will be from June 2026 to March 2027.

This will be the second consecutive year of the revised academic calendar, which was introduced to align State board schools with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) schedule that follows an April-to-March academic year. The change was implemented from the previous academic year.

According to the academic calendar notified by the Directorate of Education, the first term will be from April 1 to October 10, while the second term will run from October 12 to March 24, 2027.

Director of Education Shailesh Zingade said that the terms, vacations and breaks for Classes I to V will remain the same as those prescribed for Classes VI to X and Class XII.

“The first summative or first-term examination will be conducted to conclude by October 10, while the second is preferably to end by March 13, 2027. The final annual examination results will not be declared before March 31, 2027,” Zingade said.

As per the Rules, the summer vacation for all classes will be from May 1 to June 5. The Ganesh Chaturthi break has been notified from September 14 to September 19, while the Diwali vacation will be from November 2 to November 21.

The annual Christmas vacation will be observed from December 24 to January 2. Schools are authorised to declare ten discretionary holidays-four to be observed between September 16 and 19, and the remaining six to be decided in consultation with parent-teacher associations (PTAs) and school managements.

The total number of working days, including examination days, will be not less than 220 for teachers, while the minimum number of instructional days will be 200 in an academic year. “School instructional hours shall not be less than five hours and 30 minutes per day, excluding school recess,” Zingade added.