Reverting to old school calendar should just be a start

THE Department of Education (DepEd) has heeded the widespread calls for a return to the old academic calendar. It has scheduled the start of classes for the school year 2024-2025 on July 29. It also set an earlier end to the current school year in a bid to gradually revert to the old school calendar. The DepEd order pushed back the end of classes this school year by two weeks, ending it on May 31 instead of June 14.

Like all wise management decisions, the return to the June-March academic calendar will be “gradual.” It will be implemented in phases to avoid disrupting the students’ and the teachers’ vacation days. The school break for this academic year will run from June 1 to July 26.

DepEd spokesman Undersecretary Michael Poa told reporters last week that the gradual shift to the old academic calendar aims to have a June school opening by the school year 20262027. This will align more closely with the traditional AprilMay school break.

The decision of the DepEd comes following consultations with parents, teachers and other education stakeholders who said they preferred a June school opening. They want to avoid holding classes during the dry season from April to May.

Poa said that the DepEd trimmed only around seven to eight days after adjustments to the current school year were made. He added that private schools will be given flexibility in following the DepEd’s new calendar. However, the law mandates they should open before the first Monday of June or no later than the last day of August.

Moreover, the DepEd also shortened the time frame for this year’s National Learning Camp from five weeks to three weeks, from July 1 to 19.

For years, the DepEd hedged against synchronizing its calendar with the new academic calendar in higher education, which the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) recommended for state universities in 2019. CHEd wanted the same period to cover that of the government’s fiscal year.

However, the DepEd delayed its class opening in 2020 from June to October when it underwent a transition period from online to hybrid learning during the Covid-19 pandemic. Since then, it has scheduled all class openings in August.

Aside from adjusting the school calendar, the Department of Education has its hands full revamping the education system. Several assessment tests in the last two years have placed Filipino elementary school students at the bottom rung among Asian countries in mathematics, the sciences and reading skills. What can be done to reverse the tide?

The government can allocate more resources to public education, ensuring sufficient funds for infrastructure, supplies and teachers’ salaries. The DepEd does not have enough funds to hire new teachers and fill the gap in personnel. The government has to allocate more funds to fill this gap — and to prevent public school teachers from leaving for more lucrative jobs abroad.

We should also invest in comprehensive teacher training programs for teachers to enhance their skills and pedagogical approaches. The CHEd has an ongoing scholarship program for teachers who want to get their MA or even PhD degrees. There are not many takers. The reasons for the low uptake include the heavy workload in teaching, as well as the extra-curricular work expected of teachers, including serving in barangay, youth and national elections.

We also need to update and improve the curriculum to ensure relevance to the needs of students and the demands of the modern workforce. The K to 12 system needs a more coherent alignment between school offerings and the needs of the industry.

We also need to provide access to technology and integrate it into teaching methods to enhance learning outcomes and prepare students for the digital age. It is a brave, new world out there. We have to ensure our students are prepared for the 21st-century workplace.