School bell rings at 10:00 AM on Monday in Istanbul, classes end at 3:00 PM

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 AM and end at 3:00 PM. Istanbul Governor's Office and Provincial Directorate of National Education stated that the reason for this arrangement is to reduce traffic congestion.

Across the city, 2 million 800 thousand students, 161 thousand 453 teachers, and approximately 19 thousand school buses will take to the roads the same morning. Parents transporting their children in private vehicles are also expected to add to the congestion; last year on the first day, service bus 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 to ensure that both students and teachers can reach their schools safely and that city traffic operates smoothly. The arrangement applies only to September 14; from September 15 onwards, classes will return to normal hours.