Marcos OKs move to revert to old school calendar

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has approved the move to start reverting gradually to the old school calendar, ending the School Year 2024-2025 earlier than originally planned. 

The Presidential Communications Office said Wednesday that the opening of classes for school year 2024-2025 will be on July 29 this year and end on April 15, 2025.

"In response to public concerns on the schedule of classes, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday approved to start reverting the country’s school calendar to the traditional arrangement," the PCO said.

"Thus, the opening of classes for school year 2024-2025 will begin on July 29 this year and end on April 15, 2025," it added. 

The PCO said this marks the gradual return of the school year to June of every year until the end of March.

Based on Department Order 003 dated February 19, 2024 and signed by Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte, the SY 2024-2025 was supposed to start on July 29, 2024 and end on May 16, 2025.

According to Department of Education (DepEd) spokesperson Undersecretary Michael Poa, the President's order reverting to the old calendar covered public schools, but private schools may also follow.

Poa told reporters that Marcos’ decision was a result of the meeting between the President and Duterte on Tuesday, May 21. 

He said that this will pave the way for SY 2025-2026 to begin on June 16, 2025 and end on March 31, 2026. 

“Sa nakikita niyo, talagang makakabalik na tayo doon sa normal or original na June to March cycle ng ating school calendar,” Poa said in an ambush interview in an event in Taguig City on Wednesday. 

(As you could see, we could now really go back to the normal or original June to March cycle of our school calendar.) 

“Kapag ginawa natin itong April 15, and then the next school year will start June 16, medyo maganda naman po pagdating sa school days. Malapit naman tayo sa prescribed ng ating curriculum specialists na 180 days,” he added. 

(If we end on April 15, and then start the next school year on June 16, we still have a pretty good number of school days. We are still close to the 180 days prescribed by our curriculum specialists.)

Poa said that DepEd is set to release a Department Order regarding the new calendar for next school year.

The current school year (2023-2024) is set to end on May 31. 

Marcos met with Duterte at Malacañang Palace to discuss the two options for the implementation of the School Year (SY) 2024-2025 calendar in light of the shift to the old school calendar.

The President instructed the Department of Education to start the return of the standard school calendar days starting SY 2024 to 2025.

In the meeting, Duterte presented two options, wherein the first option was to have 182 school days with 15 in-person Saturday classes. Meanwhile, the second option was to have 167 school days with no in-person Saturday classes.

Duterte said both options would end the SY on March 31, 2025.

However, Marcos said the 167-day school calendar was "too short" because such an arrangement would "significantly reduce the number of school days and contact time that may compromise learning outcomes."

No more Saturday classes

The President also said he did not want students going to school on Saturdays to complete the 182-day school calendar because it would "jeopardize their well-being and demand more resources.

Marcos said that instead of ending on March 31, 2025, the DepEd should adjust the school year to end on April 15, 2025 to enable students to complete 182 days without using Saturdays to go to school.

"Habaan lang natin 'yung school days. Para matagal, dagdagan na lang natin 'yung school days basta huwag natin gagalawin 'yung Saturday. So, school day will remain the same. Standard lang," Marcos told Duterte.

(Let us just extend the school days so we can lengthen the duration, but let's not adjust Saturday classes. So, the school day will remain the same. Follow the standard.)

For DepEd’s part, Poa confirmed that schools will no longer be mandated to conduct Saturday classes, following Marcos’ decision. 

“Since April 15 ang magiging end ng SY 20224-2025, akma na po, andon na tayo sa ating school days. So hindi na natin kinakailangan na magdagdag ng additional school days through holding Saturday classes,” he said.

(Since we will end SY 20224-2025 on April 15, we’ll already meet the number of school days required. We no longer need to add more school days through holding Saturday classes.) 

DepEd’s plan to cut the number of school days and hold some Saturday classes during SY 2024-2025 amid its "aggressive" push to revert to the old academic calendar by June 2025, was revealed last week by DepEd Director Leila Areola. 

However, Poa said that the agency later expressed concern that holding Saturday classes might result in fatigue among teachers and students, and cost them more expenses." 

In a statement, Senate basic education chairman Sherwin Gatchalian thanked the President for the approval of the gradual reversion to the old calendar.

The senator said this "restores normalcy to the lives of our teachers and learners" after the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The resumption of the old school calendar upholds the safety and well-being of our teachers and learners who struggled with learning continuity amid the extreme heat of the past few months," he added.

Gatchalian also acknowledged Duterte for her commitment to revert to the old school calendar.

To recall, it was Gatchalian who suggested in March last year to bring back the April to May summer vacation.

He also commissioned a Pulse Asia Survey in June 2023 which showed that eight out of 10 Filipinos are in favor of bringing back students’ summer vacation to April and May. — with Hana Bordey/KBK/VDV/RSJ, GMA Integrated News