The Ministry of Education has officially announced that the new academic session will commence on April 7.

This decision has been formally integrated into the academic calendar issued by the Ministry, outlining key dates for the academic year.

According to the updated calendar, the first term leave is scheduled to commence on July 24, with the second term beginning on August 10. The academic year will conclude on December 28, marking a significant shift from the previous schedule.

Traditionally, the academic year in the country commenced in January. However, due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, adjustments were necessitated, leading to the rescheduling of the academic year to August 2021.

Consequently, the principal holiday period was shifted to June and July, coinciding with the rainy season of the northeast monsoon. Numerous parents and students raised concerns regarding the challenges posed by this period, including difficulties in commuting and constraints on travel opportunities for family vacations.

During the most recent election campaign, a substantial request from the public to President Dr Mohamed Muizzu was the restoration of the academic year's original schedule. In response to these appeals, the President prioritised this matter within his first 100 days in office, leading to the decision to reinstate the main holiday to December.

As a result, the Government has opted to reverse its prior decision to commence the academic year mid-year and will reinstate January as the official start of the academic session. This transition is set to be fully implemented by 2026.

For the current year, the long holiday will be observed from December 28 to January 27. However, the Ministry of Education has confirmed that from the following year onwards, the principal holiday will be scheduled entirely in December, aligning with the traditional academic structure.