VICE President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte yesterday said the return to the old school calendar cannot be rushed despite calls from many sectors, including teachers’ groups.
Duterte emphasized the need to consider the rest period of teachers and students.
Earlier, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers and the Teachers Dignity Coalition urged the DepEd to speed up the transition period and revert to the old school calendar where classes started in June and ended in March of the next year.
The extreme heat has forced more than 5,000 schools nationwide to suspend face-to-face classes and opt for the alternative distance learning mode.
“Hindi natin puwede i-compromise ang pahinga ng ating mga teachers and learners dahil di natin pwede i-dere-deretso ang mga klase, kailangan ng pahinga (We cannot compromise the rest period of our teachers and learners. We cannot hold continuous classes because they also need to rest),” Duterte told reporters in a chance interview after the joint event of DepEd and Go Negosyo at the Rizal High School in Pasig City.
Duterte said the gradual transition to the old school calendar has been agreed upon during the consultation undertaken by the DepEd with education stakeholders.
“This collective decision is based on our consultations,” she said.
Last February the DepEd announced the gradual return to the old school calendar starting next school year.
Under the plan, school year 2024-2025 will start on July 29, 2024 and end on May 16, 2025.
The old school calendar will only return in the school year 2027-2028.
TDC National Chairperson Benjo Basas earlier said there is a pressing need for the return to the old school calendar considering that many schools suspended face-to-face classes and implemented alternative distance learning due to the extreme heat.
