DepEd defends gradual return to old school calendar

PHOTO FROM AFP/INQUIRER FILES

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) on Wednesday said reducing the timeline on reverting the school calendar to its old schedule would significantly impact the well-being of both learners and teachers.

DepEd made the pronouncement after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said that the government is now looking for ways to bring back the school calendar to its old schedule as soon as possible.

READ: Marcos says gov’t to find ways to revert to old school calendar

But DepEd defended its already declared timeline for the gradual return of the April-May break, reiterating that it was decided through extensive consultations with personnel, student leaders, parent organizations, and teacher organizations.

“To reduce the timeline any further would have significant impacts not only on learning outcomes but also on the well-being of learners and teachers due to the lack of sufficient breaks,” DepEd said in a statement.

In fact, DepEd said that the gradual reversion was already reduced to two years from the original five.

Effective responses

The department also stated that 5,844 out of 47,678 public schools nationwide have already begun implementing alternative delivery modes (ADMs) of education in response to the extreme heat being felt in several areas across the country.

This number, said DepEd, proves that “not all schools are similarly-situated.”

“Hence, giving school heads — who are in the best position to accurately assess the learning environment on the ground — the  discretion to switch to ADMs provides a more immediate and effective response to heat conditions rather than knee-jerk changes that would further compromise learning recovery,”

With this, DepEd said it will seek clarification from Marcos involving his recent declaration.

“Rest assured that DepEd is committed to improving the quality of basic education and will seek clarification from the President in relation to his recent pronouncements regarding the reversion upon his return from the Trilateral Summit,” DepEd said.

READ: DepEd: Gradual return to old school calendar starting SY 2024-2025

Based on Department Order No. 003 S. of 2024, DepEd expects an April 2 end of class by school year (SY) 2026 to 2027, with SY 2027 to 2028 expected to end around March.

Before that, the declared start of SY 2024 to 2025 will be on Monday, July 29, and will end on Friday, May 16, 2025.