The Lagos State Government has approved a harmonised academic calendar for the 2026/2027 session, introducing a single timetable for all public and private primary and secondary schools across the state.
The announcement was made by the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Jamiu Tolani Alli-Balogun, in a statement shared on the official X account of the Lagos State Government on Thursday.
The approval establishes a uniform academic schedule for both public and private schools, ending the previous arrangement where institutions operated separate calendars.
According to the government, the unified timetable is aimed at promoting better coordination and consistency within the state’s education system while giving parents, teachers and students a more predictable academic schedule.
The state government explained that the calendar was developed after consultations with key education stakeholders coordinated by the Office of Education Quality Assurance (OEQA). Alli-Balogun said the timetable was adopted after two stakeholders’ meetings during which participants considered and approved the major dates for the new academic session.
“The Lagos State Government has approved and released the 2026/2027 Harmonised Academic Calendar for all public and private primary and secondary schools in the State,” the statement read.
“The approved calendar outlines school resumption dates, mid-term breaks, examination periods and holidays. It is designed to help schools, teachers, parents and students plan effectively throughout the session.”
Under the approved schedule, the 2026/2027 academic session will begin on Monday, September 14, 2026, following a two-day Staff Professional Development (SPD) programme slated for September 10 and 11, 2026.
The first term will end on December 18, 2026, before schools proceed on vacation from December 21, 2026, to January 8, 2027. The second term is scheduled to run from January 11 to April 16, 2027, while the third term will commence on May 3 and conclude on July 30, 2027. The long vacation will begin on August 2, 2027.
The calendar provides for 64 instructional days in the first term, 61 days in the second term and 57 days in the third term, bringing the total number of school days for the session to 182.
Schools will observe a five-day mid-term break during the first term from November 2 to November 6, 2026.
A 10-day holiday has also been scheduled between the second and third terms, running from April 19 to April 30, 2027.
In addition, the timetable includes provisions for Open Day activities, mandatory public holidays and mid-term breaks throughout the three terms.
The government directed schools operating international curricula that require dates outside the approved schedule to apply for calendar flexibility on or before August 21, 2026, in line with the state’s guidelines.
Alli-Balogun said the harmonised calendar underscores the state government’s commitment to improving educational standards and ensuring a well-structured academic session across all schools. He urged both public and private schools to comply fully with the approved timetable.
The unified calendar is expected to address a long-standing challenge faced by many families in Lagos, where public and private schools have traditionally operated different schedules for resumption, holidays and examinations.
It is also expected to simplify planning for parents with children attending different schools by making family activities and childcare arrangements easier to coordinate.
The harmonised timetable is further expected to enhance coordination of examinations, teacher development programmes and school quality assurance activities across the state’s education sector.
With the new schedule, schools are expected to enjoy greater certainty in planning academic and extracurricular activities.
The government said the unified calendar would also provide parents, teachers and students with a clear roadmap for the 2026/2027 academic session while promoting consistency across public and private schools.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government has commenced registration for the second batch of the 2026 Computer-Based Test (CBT) Screening Test into its Model Colleges and Upgraded Junior Secondary Schools, offering another opportunity to eligible candidates who missed the initial exercise.
Registration opened on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, and will close on Saturday, August 15, 2026.
The CBT screening exercise is scheduled to take place between Friday, August 21, and Saturday, August 22, 2026, at the Public Service Staff Development Centre (PSSDC), Magodo, Lagos.
According to the Lagos State Examinations Board, the second screening is specifically for candidates whose earlier examination dates conflicted with those conducted by other examination bodies.
Registrar of the Board, Mr. Adebayo Orunsolu, encouraged parents and guardians to complete registration early, assuring stakeholders that the screening would be conducted in a transparent, credible, fair and efficient manner.
The Lagos State Model Colleges Screening Test serves as the admission examination for Primary Six pupils seeking entry into the state’s Model Colleges and upgraded Junior Secondary Schools through a Computer-Based Test.
