The Ministry of Education provided an update on preparations for the 2026–2027 academic year, announcing that online registration for first-grade students will take place nationwide through the E-Mongolia platform from August 17 to 25.
According to the ministry, the number of children entering first grade this year has declined by around 10,000 compared with previous years due to falling birth rates. Approximately 68,000 children born between January 1 and December 31, 2020, who will turn six this year, are expected to enroll in the first grade this autumn.
Parents are advised to verify and update their residential address information before completing the online registration process and ensure that any change of residence is officially registered by August 14. School placements will be assigned automatically based on registered residential addresses using data provided by the General Authority for State Registration. Parents will receive confirmation of their children’s enrollment via the mobile phone number and email address linked to their registration.
The ministry also announced that 258,921 children are expected to attend preschool nationwide during the upcoming academic year. In Ulaanbaatar, applications for kindergarten enrollment will be accepted through the E-Mongolia platform from August 10 to 23. Parents are required to indicate whether children who attended kindergarten last year will continue, and complete any address registration changes by August 7. Kindergarten assignments will likewise be determined automatically according to each family’s registered residence.
Academic year to operate under new structure
The Ministry of Education also unveiled a revised academic calendar for the 2026–2027 school year, introducing a four-term structure while maintaining the same opening and closing dates for schools nationwide.
State Secretary of the Ministry of Education T.Nyam-Ochir said the academic calendar has been designed differently for schools in Ulaanbaatar and rural areas to better reflect local conditions, although the overall start and end dates remain unchanged. Under the new structure, each term will last approximately seven to nine weeks, replacing the previous arrangement in which the first semester, including an independent study period, extended for 17 consecutive weeks. Officials said shortening the instructional periods between breaks is intended to reduce fatigue among students and teachers, improve concentration, and create a more balanced learning schedule.
The timing of the Independent Study Week will also differ by location. In Ulaanbaatar, it will be held at the end of the second term to help schools respond more flexibly to disruptions caused by winter air pollution and seasonal outbreaks of influenza and respiratory illnesses. In rural areas, the independent study period will take place at the beginning of the third term and will be combined with the school break, creating a continuous 14-day holiday that aligns with the busy livestock birthing season.
The ministry has also scheduled an Independent Study Week around the Tsagaan Sar holiday to ensure students can continue learning independently during the extended public holiday and minimize interruptions to the academic program. Officials said the revised calendar is designed to improve learning continuity while accommodating Mongolia’s seasonal, environmental, and regional circumstances.
