• School 1st term 2nd phase underway 

The increased teachers’ salaries, implemented from 1 January of this year (2026), proposed through last year’s (2025) Budget, have been credited to the respective accounts on Tuesday (20), the Education Ministry has announced. 

Meanwhile, the second phase of the first school term for the 2026 academic year in Government and Government-approved private schools was scheduled to commence yesterday (21). The first phase of the first term was conducted from 5-9 January, after which schools were closed from 10 January until Tuesday to facilitate the conduct of the General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced Level Examination subjects which were postponed following the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah. The second phase of the first term will continue until 13 February. Schools will be closed once again from 14 February to 2 March in view of the 2025 GCE Ordinary Level Examination. However, due to the Ramadan festival, Muslim schools will remain closed for an extended period from 14 February until 22 March.