Solon bats for extension of current school year to July 2021

MANILA, Philippines — ACT-CIS Rep. Jocelyn Tulfo is pushing for the extension of the current school year to July 2021 as the country waits for the availability of a vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Tulfo pointed out on Tuesday that the current progress of clinical trials would suggest that students would not be vaccinated before the end of June 2021.

“We can therefore expect the next school year to start probably in the fourth quarter of 2021 at the earliest because only the COVID-19 vaccine can make it safe for our schools to have face-to-face classroom sessions on campus,” Tulfo said in a statement.

“This means the current school year can be extended to the end of June or within July 2021 before the onset of the monsoon rains,” she added.

Tulfo said extending the school year would give flexibility for more or longer mental health breaks.

“I ask the IATF and Task Force on Vaccination to involve the education sector especially on determining the best ways to systematically vaccinate teachers, students, and their families because they are among the vulnerable sectors of our society,” Tulfo said.

“At this time, it would be best for the IATF to develop a tentative vaccination plan which can be adjusted as needed depending on when the vaccines can be administered,” she added.

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