The new school year starts at the earliest one week before the opening ceremony.

The school calendar for the new school year 2025-2026 is decided by localities based on the school year time frame set by the Ministry of Education and Training .

Grades 1, 9, and 12 can return to school at least 2 weeks before the opening ceremony because they need more time for grade 1 students to get used to the learning environment and for senior grades to have more time to consolidate their knowledge. Students in the remaining grades can return to school at least 1 week before the opening ceremony.

The opening ceremony will be held on September 5. The first semester will end before January 18, 2026 and the program will be completed and the school year will end before May 31.

The time for considering recognition of completion of primary school program and considering recognition of graduation from secondary school is before June 30, 2026. Localities must complete enrollment for first-level classes before July 31, 2026.

The 2026 high school graduation exam is scheduled to take place on June 11 and 12, 2026. Compared to this year's exam schedule, the new schedule is set earlier.

According to the Ministry of Education and Training, this is calculated appropriately for localities to organize the 10th grade entrance exam before the high school graduation exam takes place.

Other national exams are organized according to regulations and instructions of the Ministry of Education and Training .

According to the planning framework, The school year of each locality must ensure 35 weeks of actual study (semester I has 18 weeks, semester II has 17 weeks). The school year schedule must be suitable to the characteristics and practical conditions of the locality.

The decision also requires that holidays and Tet be implemented according to the provisions of the Labor Code and annual guidance documents.

Teachers' annual leave is taken during the summer vacation or can be arranged alternately at other times of the year, to suit the specific characteristics and school year schedule of the locality.

The Ministry of Education and Training also proposed that the school year schedule needs to ensure consistency for all levels of education in a residential area, especially in general schools with many levels of education.