DepEd eyes longer school year, shorter summer break

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) is eyeing to extend the school year and shortening the summer break of students, Secretary Leonor Briones said Thursday.

While DepEd is considering the students’ call for academic ease, Briones also pointed out that learners already had a six-month break due to the deferment of the opening of classes.

“Pinagusapan namin yan kahapon dahil ang demand ng mga bata ay yung sinasabi nilang academic ease. Ito, related ito sa mga requirements sa klase, sa mga homework, etc. Kaya ang tanong ko sa mga opisyal ko, if we extend the vacation, will it make their assignments easier?” Briones said in an online Palace briefing.

(We talked about that yesterday because the learners demand academic ease. This is related to the requirements and homework in class. That’s why I asked the officials if we extend the vacation, will it make their assignments easier?)

“So we are very careful in calibrating itong bakasyon kasi nakabakasyon na sila ng anim na buwan, magdagdag nanaman tayo ng bakasyon,” she added.

(We are careful in calibrating the vacation because they already had one for six months and now we’re adding more time for a vacation.)

The DepEd earlier deferred the opening of classes to October from the original schedule of August to allow the transition to distance learning.

“So we have a lot of catching up to do. Remember, other countries opened in June. We opened in October. So pag sabihin mong iextend mo yung vacation, we have to balance also the impact of another series of no classes and so on when the children are asking for academic ease,” Briones said.

EDV