Returning to the old school calendar
Today, our column joins the ongoing discussion about the recent move by the Department of Education to take the initial steps for the return of the school calendar to how it previously was.
Before we do, I would like to thank our readers, friends, and colleagues who took the time to greet me and wish me well as we marked our birthday last Monday, March 4.
I have gone beyond the half-century mark, and the milestone seems to be the time when people start teasing you about you being “no longer in the calendar.” “Malapit ka nang mawala sa kalendaryo,” as some of our elder Rizaleños jokingly said when came to convey their felicitations. It is strange that some would look at the age of 50plus as the start of “getting old.” I look at it as one more opportunity to tell myself that “I am just getting started.
As if to console me because of the jokes about my age, a friend sent me this inspirational quote: “It’s not the years in your life that matter; it’s the life in those years.”
I guess what the quote means is that what truly matters is how one has lived one’s life. That is what determines the life in one’s years.
So, as I step beyond the half-acentury mark of my earthly existence, I wish to thank all the people in my life who helped me put life into those years. I realized that nearly half of those years were spent in public service. At the age of 29, I stepped into this arena for the first time when I assumed the post of general manager of the Laguna Lake Development Authority. I was assistant secretary at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources at the age of 31. I got into my first elective post as governor of Rizal Province at the age of 34.
There would not have been as much life in those years were it not for family, friends, colleagues, and fellow public servants who walked with me along the rocky path of public service. To all of them and to all those who allowed me to be of service to them, I am deeply grateful.
Back to the subject of school calendars.
A few days ago, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte issued a department order setting the school calendar of activities from last month to the end of the school year next year.
Based on the said order, the current school year (2023-24) will end on the 31st of May. The next school year (2024-25) will start on July 29, 2024, and will end on May 16, 2025. The total return to the old calendar, according to education department officials, should happen in the 2026-27 calendar. By that time, our children may be returning to school in June following what used to be the summer break from late or mid-march to the end of May.
The Vice President said the move to the “gradual return” to the old school calendar shows that “the health, safety, and well-being of teachers and students alike” are the “highest priority” of the education department.
This is a good move, especially because we believe it was the product of extensive dialogue with stakeholders, particularly with the parents of schoolchildren and the members of the faculty and administration of our public K-12 system. During our visits to these schools in Antipolo City, we heard concerns that the current calendar may have exposed our children to severe risks brought about by extreme heat during the peak of the summer months.
At the end of the day, the gradual adjustment may have been largely influenced by weather and climate factors. Prudence and practicality dictate that we learn to accept and adjust to these factors.
It appears the school calendars of other countries are also influenced by the same factors.
For example, in the United States, children go back to school in September. As the old song by Gary Lewis and the Playboys goes, “I’ll see you in September when summer is gone.” In the US, September marks the end of summer as well as the summer break.
Our neighbors Malaysia and Singapore begin their school year in March and January, respectively. Indonesia typically begins the school year in mid-july. Thailand opens the school year during May. Just like us, it looks like weather and climate play a major role in setting the calendar. Malaysia and Singapore have relatively uniform weather conditions throughout the year and are seldom visited by major weather disturbances. Indonesia has weather patterns similar to ours. Thailand marks the peak of summer during March and April.
It looks like there is a consensus that it is better to keep children at home or on vacation spots when the heat of summer sets in. It is also during this period when they can spend more time outdoors. Summer is also a good time for them to be with family and friends.
An education innovation center shared the following reasons why the summer break matters.
According to the article, the range of benefits includes mental and physical rest, opportunities for exploration and learning outside of the classroom, and time for strengthening family bonds and creating lasting memories.
Come to think of it, the summer break is when our children may learn how to put life into their years.
The Vice President said the move to the ‘gradual return’ to the old school calendar shows that ‘the health, safety, and wellbeing of teachers and students alike’ are the ‘highest priority’ of the education department.