By Brian Jules Campued
Several days before the end of the current school year, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has approved the reversion of the country’s school calendar to the traditional arrangement effective for the academic year 2024-2025, Malacañang announced Wednesday.
In a statement, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Sec. Cheloy Garafil said classes will start on July 29 this year and will end on April 15, 2025 — gradually returning to the old schedule of June-March school calendar by next year.
President Marcos issued the directive following a sectoral meeting at the Malacañan Palace in which Vice President and Education Sec. Sara Duterte presented two options for the implementation of the upcoming school year: adding Saturday classes or shortening the number of school days.
According to the PCO, the first option would cover 180 school days with 15 face-to-face Saturday classes while the second proposal was to shorten the school days to 165 with no in-person Saturday classes.
Both schedules will end the school year on March 31, 2025.
Duterte said they already consulted with teachers, school officials, and parents regarding the proposed school calendar.
“But the President said the 165-day school calendar is “too short” as such an arrangement will significantly reduce the number of school days and contact time that may compromise learning outcomes,” Garafil said.
Expressing concern that Saturday classes would jeopardize the well-being of the students as well as demand more resources, the Chief Executive ordered the Department of Education (DepEd) to adjust the upcoming school year — thereby enabling students to complete 180 days without sacrificing the weekend to attend classes.
“Habaan lang natin ‘yung school days. Para matagal, dagdagan na lang natin ‘yung school days basta huwag natin gagalawin ‘yung Saturday,” Marcos said as quoted by Garafil.
“So, school days will remain the same. Standard lang,” the President added.
The decision to bring back the old school calendar was prompted by public clamor due to the concerns of the extreme heat amid the El Niño phenomenon, which have already caused schools to suspend in-person classes.
Marcos previously stressed the urgent need in shifting to the traditional school calendar to protect the students from the effects of prolonged exposure to the hot weather.
According to the Department Order 3, series of 2024 issued in February, the DepEd initially ordered a series of adjustments, including the scheduled end of School Year (SY) 2023-2024 on May 31; with the succeeding SY set from July 29. 2024 to May 16, 2025. – avds
