Deped sticks to old school calendar timeline

The Department of Education (Deped) on Wednesday, April 10, remained firm on its decision to adhere to the original timeline for returning to the old school calendar.

Deped has issued a statement in response to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s announcement on Wednesday that the government is exploring options to return to the previous school calendar “as soon as possible” in order to adjust to the extreme heat that is currently affecting classes across the country.

“To reduce the timeline any further would have significant impacts not only on learning outcomes but also on the well-being of learners and teachers due to the lack of sufficient breaks,” Deped said.

It pointed out that the gradual shift of the school calendar, as stated in Deped Order No. 3, was a result of extensive consultations with field personnel, student leaders, and parent and teacher organizations.

It added that the scheduled shift was agreed upon by all stakeholders involved.

Deped said the initial plan was to implement a five-year transition period for the return to the April-may break in order to prioritize both learning outcomes and breaks.

However, after considering the feedback received during consultations, the timeline was shortened to just two years.

It also explained that it has established policy for schools to switch to Alternative Delivery Modes (ADM) in the event of man-made or natural disasters such as weather disturbances.

To date, 5,844 out of 47,678 public schools nationwide have switched to ADMS.

The number clearly indicates that not all schools are similarly-situated. Hence, giving school heads – who are in the best position to accurately assess the learning environment on the ground – the discretion to switch to ADMS provides a more immediate and effective response to heat conditions rather than knee-jerk changes that would further compromise learning recovery, Deped said.

“Rest assured that Deped is committed to improving the quality of basic education and will seek clarification from the President in relation to his recent pronouncements regarding the reversion upon his return from the Trilateral Summit,” it added.