No plan to move students' summer vacation back to April-May —DepEd

The Department of Education (DepEd) has no plan to move back to April and May the summer vacation of students despite the hot weather, its spokesperson Michael Poa said on Wednesday.

“At the moment, there are no plans to revert,” Poa told reporters in a message when asked about calls to move the school break back to April and May.

“As mentioned in a previous statement, school heads have the discretion to suspend in-person classes and immediately switch to [Alternative Delivery Mode] or Blended learning if the environment is not conducive to learning,” he added.

Following more views about reverting the school break to April-May, Poa added that the DepEd “will take note of the suggestions and study the matter.”

On Tuesday, Senate basic education committee chairman Sherwin Gatchalian said it is time to bring back the April–May summer vacation.

“Kailangan ibalik 'yan sa dati (We need to bring it back)… It’s time to bring it back, especially now that it's normal already,” he said.

Gatchalian made the statement in light of the recent incident in Cabuyao City, Laguna where more than 100 students were taken to a hospital during a surprise fire drill.

Some students passed out due to hunger and dehydration.

On the day of the drill, the heat index in the city hovered between 39 to 42 degrees Celsius, according to a disaster management official.

Gatchalian added that summer vacation was previously scheduled in April to May due to the elections and the extra-curricular activities that students may undertake.

“May logic ‘yan e kaya nilagay diyan [in those months]. Two reasons: Number one, ang eleksyon natin is always summer. So people will go out to vote kasi 'pag tag-ulan people will not go out to vote,” he said.

(There's logic behind why [their vacation] was set in those months. Two reasons: Number one, our election is always summer. So people will go out to vote because during rainy days people will not go out to vote.)

“And then, pangalawa, summer kasi that’s the time students can go out, spend time with their families as opposed to tag-ulan. So mas maganda na ibalik natin sa dating April, May ang summer vacation,” he added.

(Second, summer is the time students can go out, spend time with their families as opposed to rainy days. So it would be better to bring back the summer vacation in April and May.) —KG/VAL, GMA Integrated News