School Terms and Holidays in Singapore: The Complete 2026–2027 Calendar
Between term breaks, public holidays, scheduled school holidays and exam periods, the Singapore school calendar has more moving parts than it first appears. Getting the dates right matters for booking family travel, planning childcare, and simply knowing when your child is actually in school. This guide lays out the full MOE school terms and holiday calendar for 2026 and 2027, plus how the system is structured and how to plan around it.
How Are Singapore’s School Terms Structured?
The Singapore school year runs from early January to mid-to-late November, divided into four terms grouped into two semesters, with a short break between Terms 1–2 and Terms 3–4, and a longer four-week break between the two semesters. Junior Colleges (JC) and Millennia Institute (MI) generally follow a slightly different calendar, since their intake begins in February after O-Level results are released.
There are four scheduled school holiday periods each year for mainstream schools:
- March holidays — roughly one week, between Terms 1 and 2
- June holidays — roughly four weeks, between Semesters 1 and 2
- September holidays — roughly one week, between Terms 3 and 4
- Year-end holidays — roughly six weeks, at the end of the school year
MOE School Terms and Holidays for 2026
Term dates 2026 (Primary and Secondary schools)
| Term | Dates | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | 2 January – 13 March | 10 weeks |
| Term 2 | 23 March – 29 May | 10 weeks |
| Term 3 | 29 June – 4 September | 10 weeks |
| Term 4 | 14 September – 20 November | 9 weeks |
School holidays 2026
| Holiday | Dates | Length |
|---|---|---|
| March holidays | 14 March – 22 March | 9 days |
| June holidays | 30 May – 28 June | 4 weeks |
| September holidays | 5 September – 13 September | 9 days |
| Year-end holidays | 21 November – 31 December | About 6 weeks |
Scheduled school holidays 2026 (not public holidays)
These are days schools close that aren’t necessarily public holidays for the rest of Singapore:
- Youth Day observed: Monday, 6 July (Youth Day itself falls on Sunday, 5 July)
- Teachers’ Day: Friday, 4 September (also the final day of Term 3)
- Children’s Day: Friday, 2 October, for primary schools and primary sections of schools only; secondary students attend school as normal that day
JC and MI term dates 2026
JC Year 1 and MI Year 1 students start later than the mainstream calendar, since their first term begins after O-Level results are released:
| Term | JC Year 1 / MI Year 1 |
|---|---|
| Term 1 | 4 February – 13 March |
| Term 2 | 23 March – 29 May |
| Term 3 | 29 June – 4 September |
| Term 4 | 14 September – 20 November |
JC Year 2 and MI Year 3 students have an extended Term 4, running through to around 27 November, to accommodate GCE A-Level examination preparation and the examinations themselves, before the year-end break begins.
MOE School Terms and Holidays for 2027
Term dates 2027 (Primary and Secondary schools)
| Term | Dates |
|---|---|
| Term 1 | 4 January – 12 March |
| Term 2 | 22 March – 28 May |
| Term 3 | 28 June – 3 September |
| Term 4 | 13 September – 19 November |
The 2027 school year for MOE Kindergartens, primary and secondary schools begins on Monday, 4 January and ends on Friday, 19 November 2027.
School holidays 2027
| Holiday | Dates | Length |
|---|---|---|
| March holidays | 13 March – 21 March | 9 days |
| June holidays | 29 May – 27 June | 4 weeks |
| September holidays | 4 September – 12 September | 9 days |
| Year-end holidays | 20 November – 31 December | About 6 weeks |
Scheduled school holidays 2027 (not public holidays)
- Youth Day observed: Monday, 5 July (Youth Day falls on Sunday, 4 July)
- Day after National Day: Tuesday, 10 August
- Teachers’ Day: Friday, 3 September
- Children’s Day: Friday, 8 October, for primary schools only
JC and MI term dates 2027
| Term | JC Year 1 / MI Year 1 |
|---|---|
| Term 1 | 3 February – 12 March |
| Term 2 | 22 March – 28 May |
| Term 3 | 28 June – 3 September |
As with 2026, JC Year 2 and MI Year 3 students will have an extended final term to accommodate A-Level examinations.
Public Holidays That Fall Within the 2027 School Year
Public holidays generally give students (and working parents) an extra day off within a term, separate from the four scheduled school holiday breaks. Notable 2027 public holidays include:
- New Year’s Day: Friday, 1 January
- Chinese New Year: Saturday, 6 February and Sunday, 7 February, with Tuesday, 9 February observed as a day off in lieu since the second day falls on a Sunday
- Hari Raya Puasa: Wednesday, 10 March
- Good Friday: Friday, 26 March
- Labour Day: Saturday, 1 May, with Monday, 3 May observed as a day off in lieu
- Hari Raya Haji: Monday, 17 May
- Vesak Day: Thursday, 20 May
- National Day: Monday, 9 August
- Deepavali: Thursday, 28 October
- Christmas Day: Saturday, 25 December
When a public holiday falls on a weekend, MOE typically designates the following Monday (or in some cases a nearby weekday) as a day off in lieu for schools, which is worth checking each year since the exact arrangement can vary.
Why the Calendar Looks the Way It Does
A few structural points are worth understanding:
- Four terms, two semesters. Terms 1 and 2 make up Semester 1, and Terms 3 and 4 make up Semester 2. The longest break of the year sits between the two semesters, in late May/June.
- JC and MI students start later. Since O-Level results are typically released in January, JC Year 1 and MI Year 1 students begin their first term in February, giving time for the Joint Admissions Exercise (JAE) to run beforehand. Our guide to JC cut-off points in Singapore explains how that posting process works.
- Graduating cohorts have extended terms. JC Year 2 and MI Year 3 students, who sit the GCE A-Level examinations, have a longer final term that runs into late November to accommodate exam preparation and the exams themselves.
- Children’s Day is primary-only. Unlike Teachers’ Day, which applies across all levels, Children’s Day is specifically a holiday for primary school and primary sections of full schools, while secondary students attend school as usual.
Planning Family Travel Around the School Calendar
The four-week June holiday is the longest single break and the most popular for family travel, but it’s also when flights and accommodation are typically at their most expensive. A few practical tips:
- Book early for the June holidays, since this is peak travel season for Singapore families and prices rise well in advance.
- Consider the shorter March and September breaks for local getaways, since a 9-day window is enough for a short trip without competing with the peak demand of the June period.
- Watch for long weekends created by public holidays that fall near a school holiday, such as when a public holiday lands close to a term break, effectively extending the usable travel window.
- Check school-specific events before booking. Some schools schedule camps, overseas trips or intensive programmes during term breaks, particularly for students in CCAs or SAP schools with cultural immersion components. Our guide to choosing the right CCA in Singapore covers how CCA commitments can affect a family’s holiday planning.
- Avoid booking family trips too close to major exam periods, particularly for students approaching PSLE, O-Levels or A-Levels, since the final term of the year often carries the heaviest academic load.
Planning Childcare and Enrichment Around School Holidays
For working parents, the long June and year-end breaks in particular require some planning:
- Holiday programmes and camps run by community centres, enrichment providers and some schools themselves can help bridge the gap during the longer breaks.
- Tuition scheduling often shifts during holidays, with some families using term breaks for more intensive revision or preview of the next term’s syllabus. Our guide to choosing tuition in Singapore has more on how to think about this without overloading your child during a break that’s meant to be restful.
- CCA commitments don’t always pause fully during holidays, particularly for competitive teams or performing groups preparing for events, so it’s worth checking your child’s specific CCA schedule rather than assuming term breaks are entirely free.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do Singapore school holidays start in 2026?
The four scheduled school holiday periods in 2026 are the March holidays (14 to 22 March), the June holidays (30 May to 28 June), the September holidays (5 to 13 September), and the year-end holidays (21 November to 31 December).
When does the 2027 school year start and end?
The 2027 school year for MOE Kindergartens, primary and secondary schools begins on Monday, 4 January 2027 and ends on Friday, 19 November 2027, followed by the year-end holidays through 31 December.
Do JC students follow the same school calendar as secondary schools?
Not exactly. JC Year 1 and MI Year 1 students start their first term later, typically in early February, to allow time after O-Level results are released. JC Year 2 and MI Year 3 students also have an extended final term to accommodate GCE A-Level examinations.
Is Children’s Day a holiday for all students?
No. Children’s Day is a scheduled school holiday specifically for primary schools and primary sections of full schools. Secondary school students attend school as normal on that day.
What is the longest school holiday in Singapore?
The year-end holiday is the longest break, running for roughly six weeks from late November to 31 December. The June holidays are the second-longest, at around four weeks, and are the most popular period for family travel.
How are public holidays that fall on weekends handled for schools?
When a public holiday falls on a weekend, MOE typically designates a nearby weekday, often the following Monday, as an observed day off for schools. The exact arrangement is announced each year in MOE’s official school terms and holidays press release.
Final Thoughts
Singapore’s school calendar follows a consistent four-term, two-semester structure each year, but the exact dates, along with the scheduled holidays and public holidays layered on top, shift annually and differ slightly for JC and MI students. Use the tables above as your primary reference for 2026 and 2027, and always check MOE’s official calendar closer to the date for any late adjustments, particularly around public holidays that fall on weekends.
For more on navigating school life and planning around the academic calendar, explore our student life section and parenting guides.
School term and holiday dates in this article are based on official MOE press releases for 2026 and 2027 and are accurate as of publication. Always check MOE’s official school calendar for the latest confirmed dates, since minor adjustments are occasionally announced.