DepEd urged: Revert to old school calendar ASAP

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) must speed up the return to the old academic calendar amid widespread suspension of onsite classes due to extreme heat, teachers group Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) reiterated yesterday.

In an interview with ABS-CBN News, TDC national chairman Benjo Basas said the reversion to the old academic calendar – where classes run from June to March and school break from April to May – seemed feasible starting this coming school year 2024-2025.

“One of our calls to DepEd is to speed up the reversion to the old school calendar... We think it can already be implemented as early as this upcoming school year, so that by next year, 2025, we won’t have classes in April and May,” Basas said.

The DepEd had earlier issued DepEd Order No. 3 series of 2024, ordering the gradual return to the old academic calendar with the opening of classes for SY 2024-2025 set on July 29, 2024 and closing on May 16, 2025.

DepEd spokesman and Undersecretary Michael Poa had earlier told reporters that the agency eyes full return to the old academic calendar by SY 2026-2027, where classes would open in June.

Basas, however, said there is still time for the DepEd to adjust the calendar for SY 2024-2025 so that classes do not extend to April and May, which are the hottest months of the year.

“We think this is still doable. Because if we will still push through with allowing classes to run until May 16, 2025, we are bound to experience the same dilemma as now – lots of schools will again have to shorten or suspend onsite classes in April and May to protect the students and teachers from the harmful effects of extreme heat,” Basas said.

He said the DepEd must come up with an “optimal scheme” on how to go about adjusting the calendar for SY 2024-2025 such as by incorporating various modes of delivery of lessons, without sacrificing the vacation of teachers.

Nonetheless, Basas said if shortening the vacation of teachers to prepare for a possible earlier date of opening of classes cannot be avoided, the DepEd must provide them necessary compensation such as additional service credits convertible to vacation leave or extra pay.

“The two-month