SLT 1250
February 3-9, 2024
MAASIN CITY – The Department of Education (DepEd) has ordered the implementation to revert to the old school calendar schedule. Maasin City DepEd Superintendent Dr. Genis Murallos said that they recently had a meeting on “how to implement seamlessly.”
The return to June class opening will be gradually done to avoid the drastic cut of teachers and students’ vacation days. For this coming 2024-2025 school year the opening of classes is proposed on July 29, 2024. Then for the succeeding school year, the start of classes shall be on June, 2025, as reported.
In a hearing at the House of Representatives, Regina Sevilla Sibal of the National Parent Teacher’s Association in behalf of the association expressed support to the change which will, in two years, finally be back to the June to March school schedule.
In a 2023 survey by the Alliance of Concerned Teachers, it showed that over 67% of teachers experienced “intolerable heat” in their classrooms during the peak of the dry season in March, which led to students’ waning attention and more frequent student absences.
“The conditions in rain — although difficult for learners and teachers — there are budget implications (during) the summer. Schools do not have enough water supply, and there are ventilation and heat concerns,” Sibal added.
Regardless, the length of school days in one school year will still be two hundred to not more than two hundred twenty days, in pursuance to Republic Act 11480. (GMR)
