MANILA — In response to public concerns on the schedule of classes, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday approved to start reverting the country’s school calendar to the traditional arrangement.
Thus, the opening of classes for school year 2024-2025 will begin on July 29 this year and end on April 15, 2025.
This will start the gradual return of the school year to June of every year until end of March the next year.
The chief executive met with the Vice President at the Malacañan Palace to discuss the two options for the implementation of School Year (SY) 2024-2025 calendar in light of the shift to the old June to March school calendar.
In a sectoral meeting with Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte, President Marcos told the Department of Education (DepEd) to start the return of the standard school calendar days starting SY 2024 to 2025.
The Vice President presented two options to the President for the school calendar shift.
The first option comprised of 180 school days with 15 in-person Saturday classes while the second option was to have 165 school days with no in-person Saturday classes. Both options will end the SY on March 31, 2025
But the President said the 165-day school calendar is “too short” as such arrangement will significantly reduce the number of school days and contact time that may compromise learning outcomes.
He also did not want students to be going to school on Saturdays to complete the 180-day school calendar because it will jeopardize their well-being and demand more resources.
As a compromise, he said instead of ending on March 31, 2025, DepEd should adjust the SY to end on April 15, 2025 to enable students to complete 180 days without using Saturdays to go to school.
“Habaan lang natin ‘yung school days. Para matagal, dagdagan na lang natin ‘yung school days basta huwag natin gagalawin ‘yung Saturday. So, school day will remain the same. Standard lang,” President Marcos told Vice President Duterte during the meeting.
Duterte said they already consulted with teachers, school officials, and parents as far as the proposed school calendar is concerned. (PND)
