February 2026 brought documented education changes across school facilities, early-years provision, literacy and numeracy checks, curriculum implementation, admissions, study permits, assessment, and digital learning. Several measures had been announced before February but were active in the 2026 school or academic cycle, while others were published during the month.
| Country | Main 2026 Move | Area Affected |
|---|---|---|
| England | New school-estate plans emphasized inclusion bases, while academies no longer needed the separate change application to add or expand school-based nurseries. | Inclusion, early years |
| Australia | Year 1 phonics checks expanded nationally, while numeracy checks were being rolled out or trialled in every jurisdiction except Western Australia. | Literacy, numeracy, school funding |
| New Zealand | Four curriculum half-days were available for 2026 curriculum and assessment implementation, with reporting changes staged into Term 1. | Curriculum, assessment, teacher time |
| Singapore | Full Subject-Based Banding remained the secondary-school structure, while AY2026 Polytechnic Foundation Programme admissions moved eligible students into course clusters. | Secondary structure, post-secondary admissions |
| United Arab Emirates | KG and Grade 1 age cut-offs moved to 31 December for specified schools, and the 2026–2027 calendar was published within a three-year schedule. | Entry rules, school calendar |
| Canada | The 2026 study-permit target was set at up to 408,000 permits, and post-secondary school changes continued to require a new study permit. | International education, study permits |
| United States | A federal negotiated-rulemaking committee reached consensus on draft higher-education accountability text; the package had not yet become a final regulation. | Higher education oversight |
| India | CBSE implemented two Class X Board examination opportunities from the 2026 examination cycle. | Assessment |
| Malaysia | Preschool Curriculum 2026 entered implementation, while the National Education Plan 2026–2035 set new system priorities. | Early years, system planning |
| South Korea | The 2026 Ministry work plan expanded AI education materials, school use of AI, and development of K-Education AI. | Digital learning, AI education |
Country-by-Country Changes In February 2026
England
England published a 10-year education-estate plan on 11 February 2026. It said schools and colleges should become more inclusive by design, with an ambition for every secondary school to have an inclusion base over time and new guidance on adapting existing spaces for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. The Department for Education described inclusion bases as dedicated spaces where pupils can receive targeted support while remaining within mainstream provision. [UK DfE]
Academy trusts also received a process change on 25 February. Trusts no longer need to use the separate approval process to add or expand a school-based nursery, although they are still expected to consult the local authority and relevant local stakeholders and obtain required consents. Approval remains necessary when nursery provision is removed or reduced. [UK DfE]
Australia
Australia entered the 2026 school year with the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement moving into its next implementation stage. The January 2026 rollout announcement described an additional $16.5 billion over ten years for public schools under the agreement. Funding is tied to measures that include evidence-based teaching, early literacy and numeracy checks, and targeted support such as small-group tutoring. [Australia Department]
For 2026, all states and territories were to use a Year 1 phonics check. Every jurisdiction except Western Australia was also scheduled to roll out or trial a Year 1 numeracy check, while small-group tutoring remained part of the support package for students who were behind. [Australia Education]
New Zealand
New Zealand approved four curriculum half-days for each of the 2026 and 2027 school years. Boards may close schools for up to four half-days per year for professional learning and planning connected with new curriculum content and assessment changes. Schools and kura must give families at least six weeks’ notice before using the approved closures, and the half-days do not have to be made up when the stated conditions are met. [NZ Ministry]
Curriculum reporting was also staged rather than changed at the same time as the draft content release. Ministry guidance stated that schools were not expected to change reporting before Term 1, 2026, while Years 0–10 curriculum content moved through the implementation process. [NZ Ministry]
Singapore
Full Subject-Based Banding remained the operating structure for secondary schooling in 2026. For cohorts entering Secondary 1 from 2024, the former Express, Normal (Academic), and Normal (Technical) streams were removed. Posting Groups 1, 2, and 3 guide entry to secondary school and the initial subject levels offered to students. Subject placement is not fixed for the whole secondary course: students can take subjects at different G1, G2, and G3 levels and adjust them at suitable points according to the system’s rules. [Singapore MOE]
For AY2026, the Polytechnic Foundation Programme changed admissions for eligible students by using course clusters for most routes, while selected specialised courses remained outside that arrangement. Students entering through a cluster choose from the courses available within that cluster under the programme rules. [Singapore MOE]
United Arab Emirates
For new admissions in the 2026–2027 academic year, the UAE changed the age cut-off for schools whose academic year begins in August or September. Children must be four by 31 December for KG1, five by 31 December for KG2, and six by 31 December for Grade 1. The change does not alter the admission status of students already enrolled under earlier rules. [UAE MOE]
The Ministry also published academic calendars for three school years. For 2026–2027, students are scheduled to start on 31 August 2026. The calendar sets the first-semester mid-term break for 12–18 October, the winter break for 14 December 2026–3 January 2027, and the end of the academic year for 2 July 2027. [UAE MOE]
Canada
Canada set a 2026 national target of up to 408,000 study permits, including 155,000 permits for newly arriving international students and 253,000 extensions for current and returning students. The total target was 7% below the 2025 issuance target of 437,000. Within the 2026 total, 180,000 permits were allocated to applicants who require a provincial or territorial attestation letter. From 1 January 2026, master’s and doctoral students enrolled at public designated learning institutions were exempted from submitting a provincial or territorial attestation letter with their study-permit applications. [IRCC]
Post-secondary students changing designated learning institutions must obtain a new study permit by applying to extend their current permit. Eligible students may continue studying at the post-secondary level while that application is being decided, subject to the conditions stated by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. [IRCC]
United States
In January 2026, the U.S. Department of Education’s AHEAD negotiated-rulemaking committee reached consensus on draft regulatory text covering higher-education accountability topics, including student tuition and transparency reporting and earnings accountability and student warnings. The agreement was a negotiated-rulemaking step; it was not itself a final regulation, and the Department moved to the next stage of the rulemaking process. [U.S. Department of Education]
India
CBSE decided to implement two Board examinations in Class X from the 2026 examinations. All covered students must take the first Board examination. Passed and eligible students may use the second examination to improve performance in up to three eligible subjects from Science, Mathematics, Social Science, and languages. CBSE’s scheme places the first examination from mid-February and the second in May, with separate provisions for compartment cases and specified special categories. [CBSE]
On 17 February 2026, the Ministry of Education also held a session on AI in education at the India AI Impact Summit. The ministry described work spanning school education, higher education, skills, research, digital platforms, and capacity development; the event presented ongoing national work rather than a separate new school rule. [India Ministry]
Malaysia
Malaysia’s Ministry of Education issued its 2026 circular for the implementation of Preschool Curriculum 2026, including a dedicated version for special education. The circular placed the updated preschool curriculum into the ministry’s formal implementation process for the 2026 cycle. [Malaysia MOE]
The National Education Plan 2026–2035 had been launched on 20 January and remained a major system policy entering February. Announced measures included a Malaysian Learning Matrix for centralized measurement of Year 4 and Form 3 achievement, an option for six-year-old children to enter Year 1 voluntarily, school reform measures, and future curriculum work. [Malaysia MOE]
South Korea
South Korea’s 2026 Ministry of Education work plan lists wider AI use by students and teachers among its current priorities. The plan includes expanded support for AI education materials, development of K-Education AI, AI-focused schools, and systems for collecting and analysing learning data. It also calls for upgraded wireless networks and student devices and for digital support staff to assist schools with technology use. The current plan therefore describes AI as part of teaching support and school infrastructure rather than relying on one product category alone. [Korea MOE]