CNTE Oaxaca starts school Aug 24, a week before SEP

Students in Oaxaca schools run by the CNTE's Section 22 will start the 2026-2027 school year on Monday, August 24, a week before the official SEP calendar date of August 31. The alternative calendar, presented on August 11, 2026, sets the end of the cycle for July 7, 2027, two days earlier than the federal close of July 9 Source: Infobae. This move is part of the dissident teachers' long-standing plan for educational autonomy in Oaxaca, which includes 200 school days versus the SEP's 185 Source: Heraldo de México.

Key differences

The alternative calendar, approved by the MDTEO, incorporates pedagogical assemblies and union activities, and adjusts holiday periods slightly. Winter break runs from December 21, 2026 to January 8, 2027, while the SEP's ends January 5 Source: Heraldo de México. However, Infobae reports that winter break aligns with the federal calendar, ending January 5 and resuming January 6 Source: Infobae. Spring break (March 22–April 2, 2027) matches the national schedule Source: Infobae.

Context

Section 22 has issued its own calendar for over two decades, reflecting a pedagogical and union dispute with the federal system. The calendar is built from needs expressed by school collectives across eleven educational levels Source: Infobae. On August 13, President Claudia Sheinbaum met with Section 22 in Palacio Nacional, agreeing to new teaching posts and educational improvements starting this cycle Source: Infobae. The alternative calendar applies only to schools under Section 22's coordination, not replacing the federal one Source: Infobae.