The Ministry of Education and Sports has officially released the 2026 academic calendar, giving schools, parents and learners early guidance on term dates, holidays, national school activities and strict compliance guidelines for both government and private institutions.
The calendar was announced by the Permanent Secretary, Dr Kedrace Turyagyenda, and will apply to pre-primary, primary and post-primary schools across Uganda. Education officials say the early release is intended to help schools plan better and ensure uniformity across the country.
School term dates and holidays
According to the ministry, Term One for 2026 will begin on February 2 and end on May 1, covering a total of 89 learning days. Learners will then break off for the first-term holiday from May 2 to May 24, 2026.
Term Two will start on May 25 and run until August 21, also lasting 89 days. The second-term holiday will begin on August 22 and end on September 13, 2026.
Term Three, which is the final term of the year, will run from September 14 to December 4, 2026, with 82 instructional days. Schools will then close for a longer end-of-year holiday from December 5, 2026, to January 31, 2027.
In total, schools across the country will have 260 teaching days in the 2026 academic year.
Reporting dates for Senior One and Senior Five
The ministry also provided guidance on the placement and reporting of students joining secondary school. According to the calendar, Senior One students will be placed between January 29 and January 30, 2026, and are expected to report to their respective schools on February 16, 2026.
For Senior Five students, placement will be conducted on February 12 and February 13, 2026, with reporting scheduled for February 23, 2026.
Education officials emphasized that schools must strictly follow the reporting dates to avoid confusion and congestion during the opening of the academic year.
National school activities lined up
The 2026 calendar also outlines several national and co-curricular activities that will take place throughout the year.
School-based music, dance and drama competitions will be held during the first term, while district and regional competitions are scheduled for the second term. The national music, dance and drama festival will take place during the second-term holidays.
In science education, school-level and regional science fairs will be conducted in the first term, with the national science fair planned for July 2026. The National Agriculture Education Show is scheduled to take place from July 7 to July 12, 2026.
Debate enthusiasts will also have their moment, as the National Secondary Schools Debate Championships are set to run from August 24 to August 28, 2026.
Compliance guidelines for schools
The Ministry of Education issued a strong warning to all institutions, stressing that teaching must begin on time and that school terms must not be shortened without written approval from the ministry.
Schools are expected to operate between 8:00am and 4:30pm, while pre-primary schools should close by 12:00pm. The ministry also advised boarding schools in Kampala to stagger reporting and closing dates over two to three days to reduce traffic congestion in the city.
Officials cautioned that any school that alters the calendar without authorization will face disciplinary action, reaffirming the government’s commitment to maintaining order and quality in the education sector.
The ministry encouraged parents and school administrators to familiarize themselves with the calendar early to ensure a smooth and organized academic year in 2026.
