There is good news for school students in Karnataka as the School Education and Literacy Department has announced the academic schedule for the 2026-27 academic year. As part of the annual Dasara festival break, primary and secondary school students across the state are going to get a long holiday lasting 19 days.
According to the department's academic calendar, the Dasara holidays will begin on 3 October 2026, and students will be on vacation through the Dasara festival period. As it is Gandhi Jayanti, October 2 is already a public holiday for students, so they will have a holiday right after the extended Dasara vacation starts. The break will continue until October 21, which is Vijayadashami.
The extended vacation will give students and teachers a chance to take a break from the regular academic activities and participate in Dasara celebrations. Dasara is one of Karnataka's major festivals, and celebrations are held across districts through religious, cultural and traditional programmes. Most families will use the school holiday period to visit their hometown or visit the most important tourist or religious places.
The holiday schedule announced by the Karnataka School Education and Literacy Department is applicable to government schools, aided schools and private schools that follow the academic calendar prescribed by the department. Parents and students should carefully look out for the holiday schedule of their school in case schools are operated under different educational boards.
Some independent private schools may have different holiday arrangements. Some private schools with boards like CBSE and ICSE can follow their own academic calendars. So, some such schools could announce a shorter Dasara vacation of about 10 to 15 days, depending on their own academic schedules and institutional policies.
For students who follow the Karnataka state academic calendar, the long holiday will cover the period leading up to and including Vijayadashami on October 21. The longer break will allow students to spend time with family and participate in Dasara-related activities without the regular school schedule.
On October 21, the holiday will end and schools will be opened on Thursday, October 22, 2026. Students will return to their schools as regular studies resume. That will also be the start of the next phase of academic work in the current school year.
The second half of the academic year will be more important as schools carry out the remaining syllabus, assessments and other academic activities. Teachers are required to plan lessons and exams around the holiday schedule to ensure the prescribed curriculum is completed within the academic year.
The announcement also provides parents with clarity on travel and family activities over the holidays. But parents should remember that individual schools may issue separate circulars for reopening instructions, attendance, examinations, assignments or other activities after the Dasara break.
The 19-day Dasara vacation is therefore one of the major breaks in the Karnataka school academic calendar for 2026-27. As the holiday starts shortly after Gandhi Jayanti and lasts until Vijayadashami, students will have an extended period away from regular classes.
Parents and students should keep track of official communication from their schools for any institution-specific changes. Schools in the Karnataka government's academic calendar are expected to keep on following the dates as announced, but independent institutions may have different schedules depending on their educational board and management decisions.
The Karnataka government’s academic calendar is designed to provide a structured balance between classroom instruction, examinations, holidays and other educational activities. The Dasara break is such a key part of this schedule, giving students and teachers a much-needed mid-academic-year vacation before classes resume for the next phase of the 2026-27 academic session.
