Christmas vacation for public schools set for Dec.15 to January 5

The Department of Education (DepEd) has scheduled an early Christmas break for students across all basic education levels in public schools nationwide this school year.

Students in the kindergarten, elementary and high schools are scheduled to start their Christmas vacation on December 15 based on DepEd Order No. 007 s. of 2019 or the School Calendar for School year 2019-2020 issued by Education Secretary Leonor Briones. Classes are scheduled to resume on January 6, 2020.

Private schools, on the other hand, have their own discretion to schedule their own Christmas breaks. As cited in Republic Act No. 7797 or “An Act to Lengthen the School Calendar from Two Hundred Days to Not More than Two Hundred Twenty Class Day,” private schools may “deviate” from the calendar prescribed by DepEd given they inform the regional office (ROs) of any changes in schedule in their respective school calendars.

Last year, DepEd also announced an earlier Christmas break schedule – one week earlier than the original schedule – to give both learners and teachers “enough time to spend with their families” during the Yuletide season.

Briones, in an earlier statement, said moving the Christmas break to an earlier schedule was based on the suggestions of the Senate, the Executive, the Congress, and the parents. She also emphasized the “importance for students to spend more time with their families this Christmas holiday.”

Valuing the importance of spending quality time with the family, DepEd believes that the Christmas season “provides an opportunity for Filipino learners to strengthen their emotional bonds with their family.”

The SY 2019-2020 – which consists of 203 school days – formally opened last June 3 and will end April 3, 2020. In the Implementing Guidelines on the SY 2019-2020 School Calendar issued by DepEd earlier, schools are enjoined to “effectively and efficiently implement the school events and activities.”

DepEd noted that guidelines will also allow the regional offices (ROs) as well as the schools division offices (SDOs) to provide support to schools – particularly in the areas of instruction, progress monitoring, and evaluation. All schools are also expected to observe national and local celebrations “provided that these are beneficial to the learners.” ROs may issue a “supplemental calendar to reflect their local events” if needed.

Meanwhile, DepEd reminded schools to hold make-up classes or undertake Alternative Delivery Modes (ADMs) if needed to help “compensate for unplanned suspension of classes such as natural and manmade calamities” given that the conduct of such activities “must be agreed upon by school heads, teachers and concerned parents.”