THE return of the original June-March school calendar three years after the move to an August-June schedule is a question of “how” and “when,” according to the Department of Education.
DepEd Assistant Secretary and deputy spokesperson Francis Cesar Bringas said stakeholders have agreed to revert to the June-March school calendar following a consultation with schools, teachers, parents, and student leaders last January 15.
“We never disagreed. The question was how and when, considering so many factors (legal, perceptions, etc),” Bringas said.
“Pretty much, we had a consensus,” he added.
He said the factors, especially the legal ones, that the DepEd has to study and review before making any decision include “the number of school days, vacation, and proportional vacation pay for teachers.”
He emphasized the DepEd and the stakeholders are still in the “finalizing stage.”
“Finalizing includes the approval of VP Secretary, of course,” he said, referring to Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte who will make the final decision on the matter.
He added those who attended the recent consultation have reached a consensus that the June-March school calendar will not return next school year.
“We are looking at the school year 2025-2026, but for this next school year we are still looking at July opening,” Bringas said.
DepEd Undersecretary and spokesperson Michael Poa said they are still working on the matter.
“We are still finalizing the policy. That is why we consulted to get feedback on the policy that we are finalizing,” he said.
The Teachers Dignity Coalition said teachers appreciated the proposal to revert to the June-March schedule.
“The campaign to revert to the old cycle was primarily because of the extreme heat teachers and learners experienced last year when many became ill or fainted,” TDC national president Benjo Basas said, adding the group, which counts several thousand public school teachers nationwide as members, sent two separate letters last year to Duterte outlining the reason why they are supporting a June-March school calendar.
Basas pointed out that a policy amending the previous DepEd order will be needed to effect the changes.
“That’s why we are grateful to DepEd for listening to the concerns raised by teachers on this occasion. We expect that the new policy will be issued soon,” he said.
