Romania opens 2026–2027 school year on 7 September with 36-week five-module calendar

Framework and start of the school year

Millions of Romanian kindergarten pupils, primary school pupils, and secondary students will return to classrooms on Monday, 7 September 2026, following a summer vacation of nearly three months. The official schedule for the 2026–2027 academic year was approved through Ministry of Education Order 3194/2026 and published in the Official Gazette (Monitorul Oficial). The administrative calendar spans from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2027, but formal instructional activity begins on 7 September 2026. For the standard student cohort, the year comprises 36 weeks of structured courses divided across five instructional modules separated by five designated holiday periods.

Module schedule and vacation calendar

The academic calendar alternates between structured classroom instruction and scheduled holidays throughout the year. The first module will run from 7 September 2026 to 23 October 2026, followed immediately by an autumn vacation between 24 October and 1 November 2026. The second instructional module will begin on 2 November 2026 and conclude on 22 December 2026. Students will then enter winter vacation from 23 December 2026 to 10 January 2027, returning to classrooms for the third module on 11 January 2027. Following the flexible winter ski break, the fourth module will run until 23 April 2027. Spring vacation will span from 24 April to 4 May 2027, after which the fifth module will operate from 5 May 2027 until the general school year concludes on 18 June 2027.

County-level flexibility and national programs

The calendar reintroduces a mobile one-week vacation, often referred to as the ski break, scheduled between 15 February and 7 March 2027. Individual county school inspectorates decide the exact timing of this break following consultations with teachers, parents, and students. Consequently, the third module will end on 12 February, 19 February, or 26 February 2027, while the fourth module will open on 22 February, 1 March, or 8 March 2027. In addition to regular academic courses, schools must deliver two national programs, "Școala altfel" and "Săptămâna verde", between 7 September 2026 and 23 April 2027. The Ministry of Education stated that these initiatives aim to combine theoretical learning with practical daily activities, foster socio-emotional development, and strengthen partnerships between schools and communities.

Variations for graduating cohorts and vocational tracks

Graduating classes will follow modified timetables to facilitate preparation for national standardized testing. Twelfth-grade day students and thirteenth-grade evening or reduced-frequency students will complete 34 weeks of courses, concluding their year on 4 June 2027 before the Baccalaureate examinations. Eighth-grade pupils will finish a 35-week curriculum on 11 June 2027 to prepare for the National Evaluation (Evaluarea Națională). In contrast, pupils enrolled in vocational programs and technological high school branches will complete an extended 37-week curriculum ending on 25 June 2027. For all regular non-graduating students, summer vacation will run from 19 June to 5 September 2027, with the subsequent 2027–2028 academic year scheduled to commence on 7 September 2027.