Malaysia School Academic Calendar 2025/2026: Key Dates and Holidays

 The 2025/2026 Academic Calendar which lists down school days and school holidays for students in Malaysia is out.

You can view the calendar below. If you wish to download a copy, the pdf of the calendar can be downloaded from the Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia website:  Kalendar Akademik Sesi 2025/2026. 

Some notable dates or things to note:

On which day will school start in 2025?

The school year will start in February 2025 as Malaysia prepares to shift its academic year over time to start in January as it used to be previously. 16th of February for Group A schools and 17th February for Group B schools.

Johor reverts to Saturday and Sunday weekends from 1st January 2025

There are usually two calendars. One for schools in states which observe Saturday and Sunday as weekend ie Group B schools and another for schools in states which observe Friday and Saturday as weekend ie Group A schools. Since Johor will revert to Saturday and Sunday as weekend with effect from 1st January 2025, it will then follow the academic calendar for Group B.

Year end holidays and start of school in 2026

Year end holidays is from 19th or 20th December 2025 till 10th or 11th of January 2026, suggesting that school will start on 11th or 12th of January in 2026.

Festive Holidays

Chinese New Year holidays

As usual, the academic calendar has a separate section for festive holidays. The first festive holidays in 2025 is Chinese New Year. If you notice that it is missing in the festive holidays page, that is because Chinese New Year 2025 falls during the end of academic year 2024/2025 holidays. 

The first two days of Chinese New Year in 2025 which is usually a public holiday falls on 29th and 30th of January 2025. The end of academic year 2024/2025 holidays is from 17th or 18th January 2025 until 15th or 16th February 2025. You can check the dates here in the academic calendar for 2024/2025.

Hari Raya holidays

Hari Raya is a little earlier in 2025 with school holidays at the end of March and early April 2025.

With the holidays out, you can now start planning your travel schedule and leave application to spend time with the children during their school holidays as well as have a better idea of the dates involved when you start to plan for transport, activities, tuition and exams.

Math Olympiad: A Platform for Math Recognition

The Math Olympiad is a globally recognized competition designed to challenge young minds and nurture their mathematical talents. It provides students with a platform to showcase their skills, improve problem-solving abilities, and compete with peers worldwide. These competitions encourage logical thinking and analytical reasoning, skills crucial for academic and future professional success.

Participating in a Math Olympiad boosts a student’s confidence and opens up opportunities for recognition, scholarships, and further education. High achievers often receive prestigious awards such as certificates, medals and trophies but beyond the accolades, the experience itself fosters personal growth and learning. The competitions are an excellent way for students to push their limits and discover their full mathematical potential.

Eye Level Math Olympiad 2024

One of the standout competitions is the Eye Level Math Olympiad (ELMO), which invites participants from Grade 1 to Grade 8 to test their math skills on a global platform. ELMO emphasizes individualized learning, providing participants with detailed performance analyses. This feedback helps students understand their strengths and areas for improvement, making ELMO not just a competition but a valuable learning experience.

ELMO participants are not only eligible for certificates and medals, but top scorers also stand a chance to win cash prizes. Open to both Eye Level members and non-members, this competition provides young learners with an opportunity to shine in mathematics, no matter their starting point. ELMO’s comprehensive approach ensures students of all levels benefit from the experience.

In 2024, ELMO registration runs from October 1st to October 31st, with the competition taking place from November 23rd until 24th November, nationwide. 

Interested students may register here and they can choose the venue they are convenient with. Eye Level members are charged RM30 while non-members will be charged RM50.

With over 60,000 participants from more than 15 countries, it promises to be an enriching experience. Whether your child is looking to challenge themselves or gain valuable insights into their mathematical ability, ELMO offers an exciting opportunity to grow and succeed. Register today and let your child showcase their math skills globally.

When is Deepavali 2024 school holidays?

 When is Deepavali in 2024? 

Deepavali 2024 will be on 31st October 2024 which is a Thursday. 
  

Parents in our Facebook group, The Malaysia Primary School Parents Group on Facebook have been asking "When is Deepavali 2024 school holidays?" Some parents saw notices from some schools on the holidays and wanted to know if their child's school will also be having the holidays as stated in the notices. 

Well, it's always good to know ahead so we can plan ahead. Plan when to apply for leave and whether to balik kampung or go on a mini vacation. 

Let's revisit the notice from the Ministry of Education on the academic calendar for 2024/2025. There is a Lampiran C which specifically states the festive holidays or cuti Perayaan as shown below.

The National public holiday for Deepavali falls on Deepavali day which is Thursday, 31st October, 2024.

For schools in Kumpulan A which observe Friday and Saturday as weekend, an extra school holiday has been allocated on Wednesday 30th October. Since Friday and Saturday is a weekend for schools in Kumpulan A, this means that the total days off for Deepavali will be from Wednesday, 30th October 2024 to Saturday, 2nd November 2024.

For Schools in Kumpulan B which observe Saturday and Sunday as weekend, two extra days of school holidays have been allocated on Wednesday, 30th October and Friday, 1st November 2024. Together with the Deepavali public holiday and weekends, this will mean that the overall Deepavali holiday will be from Wednesday, 30th October 2024 to Sunday, 3rd November 2024.

The National public holiday for Deepavali on 31st October, 2024 excludes Sarawak. However schools in Sarawak will have the day off on Thursday, 31st October 2024 followed by a day of school before the weekend on Saturday, 2nd November and Sunday, 3rd November 2024.

Hope this makes it clearer for parents to plan their schedule.