Lagos approves harmonised 2026/2027 academic calendar for public, private schools

The Lagos State Government has approved a harmonised academic calendar for all public and private primary and secondary schools across the state for the 2026/2027 academic session, aligning both categories of schools under a single schedule.

The announcement was made by the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Jamiu Tolani Alli-Balogun, in a statement published on the official X account of the Lagos State Government on Thursday.

The move formalises a unified academic timetable for both public and private schools, replacing the previous practice where schools could operate on different calendars.

It is expected to improve coordination and consistency across the state’s basic and secondary education system while providing parents, teachers, and students with a predictable academic schedule.

What they are saying

According to the Lagos State Government, the harmonised calendar was finalised following consultations with education stakeholders facilitated by the Office of Education Quality Assurance (OEQA). The Commissioner said the calendar was agreed upon after two stakeholders’ meetings, where participants reviewed and approved key dates for the 2026/2027 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.”

The approved calendar shows that the 2026/2027 academic session will commence on Monday, September 14, 2026, after a two-day Staff Professional Development (SPD) programme scheduled for September 10 and 11, 2026.

The first term will run until December 18, 2026, followed by a vacation from December 21, 2026, to January 8, 2027. The second term will begin on January 11, 2027, and end on April 16, 2027, while the third term will run from May 3 to July 30, 2027, with the long vacation commencing on August 2, 2027.

More insights

The calendar allocates 64 school days for the first term, 61 school days for the second term and 57 school days for the third term, bringing the total number of instructional days for the 2026/2027 academic session to 182 days.

• 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 been scheduled between the second and third terms from April 19 to April 30, 2027.
• The calendar also provides periods for Open Day activities, mandatory public holiday observances, and mid-term breaks across the three terms.

Schools operating international curricula requiring dates outside the approved calendar have been directed to apply for calendar flexibility on or before August 21, 2026, in line with the state’s approved guidelines.

Alli-Balogun said the adoption of a unified calendar reflects the Lagos State Government’s commitment to improving the quality of education and ensuring a well-organised academic session across all schools in the state. He also urged all public and private primary and secondary schools to comply strictly with the approved schedule.

Why this matters

The adoption of a harmonised academic calendar addresses a long-standing challenge for many families in Lagos, where public and private schools have often operated different schedules for resumption, holidays and examinations.

A unified calendar is expected to make it easier for parents with children in different schools to plan family activities and childcare arrangements.

It will improve coordination of examinations, teacher development programmes and school quality assurance activities across the education sector.

The harmonised timetable provides schools with greater certainty for planning academic and extracurricular activities.

The unified schedule also gives parents, teachers and students a clearer roadmap for the 2026/2027 academic session while promoting consistency across public and private schools.

What you should know

The Lagos State Government has opened registration for the second run of the 2026 Computer-Based Test (CBT) Screening Test into its Model Colleges and Upgraded Junior Secondary Schools, providing another opportunity for eligible candidates who missed the first exercise.

• Registration commenced on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, and will close on Saturday, August 15, 2026.
• The CBT screening exercise will be held from Friday, August 21, to Saturday, August 22, 2026, at the Public Service Staff Development Centre (PSSDC), Magodo, Lagos.
• The Lagos State Examinations Board said the second screening is for candidates whose examination dates previously clashed with those organised by other examination bodies.

Registrar of the Board, Mr. Adebayo Orunsolu, urged parents and guardians to register early and assured stakeholders that the exercise would be conducted in a transparent, credible, fair and efficient manner.

The Lagos State Model Colleges Screening Test is the state’s admission examination for Primary Six pupils seeking entry into Model Colleges and upgraded Junior Secondary Schools through a Computer-Based Test (CBT).