The Department of Education (DepEd) announced on Tuesday that it had sent a formal letter to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. regarding the faster reversion of the academic calendar to the old one.
DepEd spokesperson Francis Bringas stated during a Senate inquiry, "In the meantime, we respectfully appeal to the committee to allow the President time to study the options carefully." Before this, the DepEd had set an initial five-year timeline to fully transition to the old academic calendar, where classes start in June and end in March.
Meanwhile, Senator Win Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Basic Education Committee, advocates for an "aggressive" approach in addressing the issue of academic calendar shift.
"We need to revert to the old calendar. Weather is unpredictable," he stressed.
READ ALSO: DepEd: End Of School Year 2023-2024 On May 31, 2024
The recent reversion to the old academic calendar was prompted by public clamor, as the summer months of April and May are not conducive to learning. Since April, DepEd has announced in-person class suspensions due to the excessive heat.
Implications of the "aggressive transition"
Bringas said that the aggressive transition will entail shorter school days. Under the Republic Act 7797, the school year in the Philippines should be between 200 and 220 days.
If approved by the President, students will only have 165 in-person school days for the upcoming academic year, with the rest being conducted through distance learning. Additionally, students and teachers will have a shorter break during the transition period.
Here are tips on how you can protect your child amidst the extreme heat.
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