Cagayan de Oro 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — A lawmaker on Sunday opposed the proposal to revert the school calendar in the country to June to March from the present August to May, citing hazards during the rainy season.
Cagayan de Oro City 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said the rainy season, most of which falls within the June to March period, exposes children to sickness.
“Let’s retain the present academic calendar for the sake of our children. Let’s spare them from rainy-season related ailments, like colds, fever and flu,” he stressed in a statement.
Rodriguez also pointed out that the weather during the said period poses risks to children’s safety due to climate hazards.
“Let’s not expose our students and children to more rain, more flooding and more rainy weather-linked risks. The young — those in pre-school, kindergarten and in the grades — are the most vulnerable,” he added.
The lawmaker likewise said that the current August to May school year aligns with the school calendars of many countries which was one of the reasons for the shift in schedule.
“It enhances collaboration among Philippine and foreign schools and fosters faculty, personnel and student exchanges,” his statement continued.
Improve education, not school calendar
Rodriguez further said that it is better to “not disturb” the current school calendar and urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to focus instead on improving education among young learners in the country.
The lawmaker noted that DepEd officials must enhance learners’ competency in the fields of sciences, mathematics, information technology, history, culture, English, and moral values.
“We have been lagging behind our neighbors in these fields. We used to have a fighting chance in mathematics, science and English, but this has disappeared,” he said.
He stressed that Philippine education has “continually deteriorated” as evidenced by “indisputable” surveys on the status of our learners.
The results of the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment released in December last year shows that Filipino students who took part in the international test were five to six years behind in mathematics, science, and reading compared to their 15-year-old counterparts from other participating nations.
The lawmaker’s statement comes amid talks that the DepEd is mulling the return of the June to March school year.
This, however, is still unconfirmed by DepEd itself and said that it will still wait for the “final guidelines.”