SWS: 89 percent prefer June to March school calendar

MANILA, Philippines — About nine in every 10 Filipinos prefer the old school calendar that begins in the month of June and ends in March, a survey conducted by Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed.

The survey, taken from June 28 to July 1, found that 89 percent of the adult respondents prefer the previous academic calendar.

Only 10 percent prefer the current September to June schedule, while one percent had no preference.

The poll did not make a distinction between basic and higher education.

In 2014, the University of the Philippines became the first education institution in the country to move the opening of classes to August. Several higher education institutions followed suit.

Five years later, the Commission on Higher Education directed all state universities and colleges to adjust their schedules.

Despite the shift in higher education, the country’s basic education system retained the old schedule – at least until 2020, when the pandemic forced public schools to open in October.

Public elementary and high schools started classes in August this year.

Various groups earlier called for the return to the old school calendar, citing the heat experienced by students last March and April.

The Department of Education said it is reviewing the proposal to return to the previous schedule.

Compared to previous surveys, the SWS noted that more respondents now prefer the June to March schedule. It was 86 percent in 2011 and 80 percent in 2003.

Meanwhile, those who prefer the September to June schedule dropped from 18 percent in 2003 and 13 percent in 2011.

The latest survey had 1,500 adult respondents and a margin of error of plus/minus 2.5 percent.