DepEd Releases Proposed Calendar For Incoming School Year 2022-2023, Eyes More Face-To-Face Classes

Click here to see updated calendar for School Year 2022-2023.

With a little over two months before School Year 2021-2022 ends, the Philippine Department of Education (DepEd) has released the proposed calendar for the incoming school year.

During an online press conference last April 19, 2022, Education Undersecretary Diosdado San Antonio outlined the pertinent dates the agency has lined up for School Year 2022-2023.

DepEd's Proposed Dates For School Year 2022-2023

San Antonio says DepEd proposes starting S.Y. 2022-2023 by August 22, 2022 and ending on July 7, 2023.

A two-week Christmas break is proposed starting December 19, 2022, and classes will resume by January 2, 2023. There's also a planned mid-year break from February 6 to 10, 2023.

The following dates will be how each quarter will be divided:

• 1st Quarter: August 22, 2022 - November 4, 2022
• 2nd Quarter: November 7, 2022 - February 3, 2023
• 3rd Quarter: Feb. 13, 2023 - April 28, 2023
• 4th Quarter: May 2, 2023 - July 7, 2023

End-of-year rites will commence from July 10 to July 14, 2023. If this proposed calendar goes as planned, School Year 2023-2024 is then expected to start by August 28, 2023.

San Antonio also said that the incoming school year will have an "additional one week for remediation and intervention activities, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities."

Blended Learning Remains

The education sector has been adapting to the new normal, a shift caused by the COVID-19, by implementing blended learning modes for two years now.

DepEd says it will continue to follow a blended learning scheme with the incoming school year,  where schools balance implementing both traditional in-person learning and online classes. However, given the easing of COVID-19 restrictions and the expansion of vaccination efforts to the younger population, the agency eyes that more classes to be done face-to-face.

"Blended [learning] po tayo, mas marami na rin face-to-face [classes], pero hindi tayo papayag na [may] mga disruptions in classes in the form of activities during the 10 weeks that the quarter is on." San Antonio notes.

The DepEd continuously reiterates that while it does not require COVID-19 vaccination for face-to-face classes, it encourages parents to have their kids jabbed for extra protection.

Also read: What To Know About COVID-19 Vaccination For Kids Aged 5-11

Watch the full DepEd online press conference below:

What To Do When Kids Feel Anxiety About In-Person Classes?

With more schools preparing to hold face-to-face classes, parents need to know how they could help their kids navigate the possible transition from online to physical classes.

In a previous Smart Parenting article, we outlined tips on what parents can do if their children feel uneasy about going back to face-to-face classes. (Read full article here)

The last thing parents want to do when school anxiety hits their children is to downplay or dismiss their feelings. Dismissing their feelings tells them their feelings don't matter.

Acknowledge your child's feelings but don't dwell on them too much. You can say, "I know, I'll miss you too. And I'm so proud of you for going to school today." 

Another useful tip to ease anxiety is to walk kids through the positive side of things when they go back to face-to-face classes.

If they used to attend school physically, you could ask them, 'what are you looking forward to'? 'What did they enjoy the day before?' This helps them to see the positive things.

Have your kids gone back to in-person classes? How are you helping them go through the transition safely and comfortably? Share your tips in the comment section below.