When will school year end, FAPSA asks DepEd

We understand the pandemic erratic schedule but somehow, a timetable has to be set, he said. We also need to know the calendar for school year 2021-2022 that, usually, should have been released last December.

A federation of private schools has asked the Department of Education (DepEd) about the ending of the school year for private schools.

Eleazardo Kasilag, president of the Federation of Associations of Private Schools Administrators (FAPSA), noted that the month of March in all schools used to be the busiest with final exams, graduation rehearsals, blow out and parties among honor students, end of school year but the pandemic disturbed all of those.

“We do not know when we can graduate our students, as the Department of Education has not released the schedule up to this time. We still do not know when we can end this school year,” Kasilag said in a statement.

“We understand the pandemic erratic schedule but somehow, a timetable has to be set, he said. We also need to know the calendar for school year 2021-2022 that, usually, should have been released last December,” Kasilag added.

The public schools started the opening of classes on 5 October last year. It’s supposed to end on 16 July this year but the private schools started classes in August last year, some even earlier.

“We cannot join DepEd in their closing this July. However, we need to know when we are ending the school year 2020-2021 because our parents are asking and we cannot answer them,” Kasilag said.

The group asked if is this still within the jurisdiction of DepEd or the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases.

“We need the advice of DepEd or at least, allow the private schools to decide and exercise our discretion since somehow, private schools enjoy a little autonomy,” Kasilag said.

“Usually our parents and students know our school calendar at this time. The schedule of final exam, date of graduation, last day of classes, summer enrichment program, school opening for next school year, etc., but we are at interregnum this time,” he added.

Kasilag said they realize how clipped DepEd when it comes to big social activities like graduation but FAPSA schools understand that it shall be virtual and there is no face-to-face celebration.

“Now, if it is IATF decision, we need to know,” he asked.

“Teachers’ bonding with students always feel deeper and closer during this time for it is a big relief being the termination of 10-month long school year but it is sadness and more work up to this time and more stressing not to know when the much-needed vacation will be,” Kasilag added.

DepEd earlier said it is considering shortening the two-month summer break of students into two weeks and extending the school year in public schools.