Press Release - 53 teaching days lost in SY 2023-2024 - EDCOM 2, PIDS

Estimates show that fifty-three (53) teaching days were lost in the school year 2023-2024 due to non-teaching tasks and activities assigned to them on top of the school closures due to calamities and local holidays. This is based on the preliminary findings of a study conducted by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), which assessed the MATATAG K-to-10 pilot implementation in 35 schools.

Key findings of the study highlight the existing challenges that may limit the implementation of the new curriculum. Among these are the amount of time that could have been allotted to actual teaching but were missed by teachers due to several reasons.

"Based on their recall of the past year, public school teachers who participated in the survey missed an average of 25 teaching days between September 2023 and March 2024," says PIDS Senior Fellow Dr. Mike Abrigo. "Actual teaching days are lost because of student off class activities such as competitions and school celebrations, non-teaching tasks such workshops, training, and other administrative tasks, and school closures due to conflict and typhoons," added Dr. Abrigo.

Teaching days, or contact time, refer to the time teachers and students spend interacting. Of the estimated 53 teaching days, 32 days are affected by the high heat index and other calamities. During these days, schools must use alternative delivery modes (ADM) like modular and online learning. However, during the pandemic, 75% of learners used printed modules for distance learning, thus suggesting that the 32 days are also lost teaching days, as students likely had limited interaction with their teachers.

"There were practically no face-to-face classes in April-May due to the high heat index across the country. These figures are estimates because we need to weigh this with the actual incidence by day. Nevertheless, from our experience in visiting schools from Visayas and Mindanao, there were no classes since the start of April," explained Dr. Abrigo.

Note: Based on 2024 Survey of Public School Teachers, and staff compilation. School closures due to calamities include face-to-face class suspensions due to high heat index in April and May 2024.

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