The academic year will begin in January from 2026 onward, the government has decided. The decision was made at a Cabinet meeting held on Sunday.
The Maldives' academic year currently begins in August, a change made by former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in 2021. It is a presidential pledge of the current President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu to revert to the January start, as was the practice in the Maldives in the past.
Upon reviewing the proposal submitted to the Cabinet by the Education Ministry regarding the shift of the Academic New Year to align with the calendar year, the President has decided against implementing abrupt changes to the academic workflow. Instead, these changes will be gradually introduced over a two-year period, with several enhancements to the Academic calendar.
As a result, the academic year-end holidays for 2025 will align with December, and the New Academic Year for 2026 will commence in January. These modifications will allow for an annual three-week academic holiday in July and a four-week holiday in December.
