Reverting to old school calendar to take 3-5 years — DepEd

It would take at least three years before the old school calendar could be brought back and the summer vacation returned in April-May, the Department of Education (DepEd) said Tuesday.

In an ambush interview, DepEd spokesperson Undersecretary Michael Poa said a task force in the agency’s curriculum strand was created to study the possible transition period from the current school break set in July-August.

He said the DepEd is also coordinating with state weather bureau PAGASA regarding the proposals to revert the former school calendar, which typically starts in June, amid the extreme heat and the El Niño phenomenon.

“If we decide to go back, it won't happen this year. In fact from the findings given to me, it would take to at least 3 to around 5 years ideally…because we have to maintain a certain number of school days,” Poa explained.

Senate basic education committee chairman Sherwin Gatchalian earlier said it’s about time to revert the school break to April and May, considering the number of students who have suffered from heat exhaustion.

“Kailangan ibalik 'yan sa dati… It’s time to bring it back, especially now that it's normal already,” Gatchalian said during a press conference in March. 

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), meanwhile, had also suggested the adoption of 185 class days annually to gradually bring back the summer school break after five years.

In a statement issued in April, ACT said this would allow every school year to finish two to three weeks earlier than the usual schedule and will eventually bring back the summer school break.

“The April-May school break is what suits our country best as the hottest months of the year are not conducive to learning, especially with our inadequate, cramped and non-airconditioned classrooms. These are also the peak months for agricultural harvest, which we know that majority of our learners in the rural areas participate in,” said ACT chairperson Vladimer Quetua.

“We cannot afford to stick to the current schedule that we have right now as it is affecting the health and welfare of our teachers and learners, consequently impacting negatively as well to learning outcomes,” he added.

Poa, however, stressed that at least 200 school days are required in a school year.

This is also in line with the DepEd’s learning recovery program to address the learning gaps among students which were heightened by school closures and disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Tignan din natin muna kesa ‘yung biglaan tayo magde-decide na ibabalik tapos makikita nating walang nangyari tapos we still shortened the period for learning recovery,” he said.

(Let's see first before we suddenly decide to return it and then we will see that nothing happened but we still shortened the period for learning recovery.) 

The current school year opened on August 22, 2022 and ended on July 7, 2023. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News