Türkiye's 2026–27 school year began on 14 September 2026 for about 17 million pupils and 1.2 million teachers in institutions affiliated with the Ministry of National Education. For international families, the useful part of the announcement is the planning calendar: the first mid-term break is in November, the semester holiday starts on 25 January 2027, the second mid-term break is in March and classes end on 25 June. These are national school dates, not university calendars, and families should still check their own school's notices before booking travel.
The five dates to save
Classes began on Monday 14 September 2026. The first mid-term break runs from Monday 16 November through Friday 20 November. The semester holiday runs from Monday 25 January through Friday 5 February 2027, followed by the second term on Monday 8 February. The second mid-term break is 8–12 March, and the school year ends on Friday 25 June 2027.
Who the national calendar covers
The ministry announcement concerns primary and secondary education institutions under MEB. It is the right baseline for families with children in the Turkish school system, including foreign pupils who are formally enrolled. It is not a university calendar. Private, foreign and international schools may issue school-specific timetables or operational notices, so their families should confirm dates directly with the administration.
Why travel plans need a second check
The dates describe the scheduled school breaks, but they do not guarantee that every child is free on the adjacent weekend or that a school event cannot be placed nearby. Public holidays, examinations, local weather decisions and school-specific activities can affect attendance plans. Confirm the final day of lessons and the return time in the school's own message before buying a non-refundable ticket.
What foreign families should verify
A national school calendar does not itself enrol a child or change residence status. Families should separately confirm registration, class placement, attendance duties, transport and access to the e-School parent system. If the school has not activated parent access or the child's record is incomplete, contact the school rather than assuming the published dates resolve the registration issue.
Scale of the new school year
MEB says the year opened for roughly 17 million students and 1.2 million teachers. It also reports that 283,354,674 textbooks were distributed free of charge to pupils in public and private schools. Those national figures describe the system's scale; they do not confirm that a particular pupil's book set, transport or school registration is complete.
Turkey Compass planning note
Save the national dates now, then treat the child's own school as the final operational source. Families arranging international travel should build in time for school-specific announcements and avoid presenting the MEB calendar as a university schedule or an automatic attendance exemption. The earlier 7–11 September adaptation week was a separate programme for preschool, first-grade and fifth-grade pupils.
Ministry of National Education — e-School parent information system →