School bell rings at 10:00 a.m. Monday in Istanbul, classes end at 3:00 p.m.

On Monday, September 14, the first day of the 2026-2027 school year in Istanbul, classes at all public and private primary, secondary, and high schools will begin at 10:00 a.m. and end at 3:00 p.m. The Istanbul Provincial Administration and Provincial Directorate of National Education explained the rationale for the arrangement as reducing traffic congestion.

Across the city, 2.8 million students, 161,453 teachers, and approximately 19,000 school buses will enter traffic on the same morning. Parents who will transport their children by private vehicles are also expected to add to congestion; on the first day last year, service delays on the Anatolian side along the Kadıköy-Bağcılar route extended into the afternoon, becoming a subject of complaint.

According to the Provincial Directorate of National Education's statement, the decision aims both to ensure that students and teachers reach school safely and to keep city traffic operating smoothly. The arrangement applies only to September 14; normal school hours will resume starting September 15.