<P> The Philippine school year lasts usually between nine and ten months long, and a school year must be at least 200 days as prescribed by law including examination periods . The school year begins in the first week of June and ends in the third or fourth week of March . Private schools may have a slightly shorter academic calendar either starting in the second (or third week) of June or ending earlier in March . </P> <P> In most primary and secondary (junior high) schools, an academic year is usually divided into quarters for purposes of examination and reporting of marks though a few private schools adopt a trimestral system . Each quarter normally lasts for approximately seven (usually the 3rd quarter) to ten weeks (usually the 1st, 2nd and 4th quarters) but the actual length of each quarter and the months they cover varies among private schools . The fourth quarter for pupils in grade 6 is usually two to three weeks shorter than undergraduates to allow for preparation of final grades to determine who are eligible for graduation as well as to prepare for the graduation ceremonies themselves . Each quarter culminates in most schools with a quarterly examination period of three to five days . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Quarter </Th> <Th> Usual Months covered (including exam periods) </Th> <Th> Breaks after the exam </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1st </Td> <Td> June - mid-August </Td> <Td> none </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2nd </Td> <Td> mid-August - late - October </Td> <Td> Semestral break: approximately one week </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 3rd </Td> <Td> November - 3rd week of December </Td> <Td> Christmas break: approximately two weeks </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 4th </Td> <Td> January - mid-late March </Td> <Td> Summer break: approximately eight to nine weeks and it separates one school year from another . </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> Quarter </Th> <Th> Usual Months covered (including exam periods) </Th> <Th> Breaks after the exam </Th> </Tr>

When does second semester start in the philippines
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