THE academic year will open in January from 2026, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said in parliament today. 

“I am pleased to inform you that the Education Ministry has been planning to bring forward the start date of school sessions in 2025 to February.

“The schools are expected to start in January again in the year 2026,” the Nibong Tebal lawmaker said during Ministers’ Question Time in parliament today.

She was responding to Aminolhuda Hassan (Sri Gading-PH), who asked about measures being taken by the Education Ministry to ensure schools begin in January again.

Fadhlina said the ministry has to ensure teaching and learning can be conducted optimally during an academic year that lasts between 32 and 36 weeks.

Following Malaysia’s transition to Covid-19 endemicity, Fadhlina said the ministry is bringing the public exam schedule in line with changes to the academic calendar.

“The Education Ministry hopes with this announcement, the financial and economic aspects (of the new school years) can be planned by all related parties,” she said.

Previously, Fadhlina had said the school year will revert to its usual January start in time.

The start of the school calendar was changed from January to March in 2022 after the government extended the 2021 school session to February 2022, following disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. – May 23, 2023.