INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA — Classes in all public elementary and high schools are set to officially start on June 5, according to the Department of Education (DepEd).
In an order released on Monday, Education Secretary Leonor Briones said the new school year would consist of 204 school days inclusive of the five-day In-Service Training for teachers and the four-day Parent-Teacher Conferences every quarter. But students are expected to be in school for 195 class days.
Private schools could deviate from the DepEd’s school calendar but they should not start classes earlier than the first Monday of June and not later than the last day of August, said Briones.
Schools that would digress from the schedule should notify in advance their respective regional offices, she ordered.
To prepare for the opening of classes and to ensure that all public elementary and high schools are environmentally sustainable and conducive to learning, the DepEd will also kick off the Brigada Eskwela program on May 15 in Cebu City.
The annual cleanup and maintenance activity in all public schools will also include tree planting and vegetable gardening to promote the government’s clean and green campaign, according to the agency.
In her order, Briones said all schools must conduct a general assembly at least a week before June 5 to orient stakeholders on the curriculum, co-curricular programs and ancillary services “to support learner development and the continuous improvement of school outcomes.”
During the opening of classes, all elementary schools should also administer the Early Childhood Development Checklist, the results of which would be used as basis for planning and formulating the appropriate interventions for children, she said. SFM/rga