DepEd to study proposed 4-day school week in Metro Manila

MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Education (DepEd) on Friday said it is open to the proposed four-day school week of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) although it said the idea needs to be studied carefully.

“We will discuss and study carefully this proposal because we have a DepEd calendar which mandates that schools should at least complete 180 days out of the 200 school calendar days,” said Assistant Secretary Tonisio Umali of DepEd over an interview on Inquirer Radio 990AM.

Umali said the 180 days is “non-negotiable” and should be a “contact time” between teachers and students.

He said that the department will have to study alternative delivery modes to make sure students would continue to get quality education once the proposal is adapted.

He added DepEd has yet to receive a formal request from the MMDA citing that the implementation of the said proposal needs a directive from the department.

On Thursday, MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino proposed the idea to the DepEd as MMDA made a projection of how bad traffic would be on Epifanio De los Santos Avenue (Edsa), the country’s busiest highway, once major infrastructure projects in the capital begin this year.

MMDA stressed the urgency of having remedial measures, such as rerouting schemes and adjusted school and work schedules as the construction will start this Monday.

It said, without this urgency, it might take a whole day for motorists and commuters to move through the 54-kilometer Edsa.

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