Solon thumbs down calls for nationwide academic break

MANILA, Philippines — A party-list lawmaker on Wednesday thumbed down calls for a nationwide academic break in light of the pandemic and recent typhoons, saying that children should not be idle.

Bagong Henerasyon party-list Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy said she thinks that having children attend classes is “still healthy than not doing anything at all.”

“Kasi ‘yung idleness leads to a lot of things and I don’t want our children idle. Kaya if there is an opportunity to make them learn continuously, I’d rather do that,” she said in a forum.

She pointed out that there are designated academic breaks in the school calendar that would allow students to cope with the pandemic.

“I think mayroon namang designated breaks na in-assign according din sa usual calendar but to stop education all together because there’s a pandemic, I’d rather our children our studying,” she added.

A students’ group earlier demanded that the government place an academic freeze over the whole country until problems caused by the recent weather disturbances, such as floods and damaged internet infrastructure, have been resolved.

Makabayan lawmakers have urged the Department of Education (DepEd) and Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) to heed the clamor for a national academic break by filing a resolution.

The CHEd, however, earlier rejected calls for an academic break throughout the country.

/MUF