Marcos wants old school calendar back by 2025
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Monday, May 6, 2024, that he is hoping that the revert to the old school calendar will happen next school year, noting that it “will be better for kids.”
In an ambush interview on the sidelines of the Government-Owned or -Controlled Corporations (GOCCs) Day in Pasay City, Marcos said he asked Vice President and Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sara Duterte to provide a concrete plan to bring back the old school calendar in light of the cancellation of classes due to the extreme heat brought about by the El Niño phenomenon.
“Well, of course, hiningi ko ‘yan sa DepEd and asked Inday Sara to give me already a concrete plan because mukha naman hindi na tayo kailangan maghintay pa. At mukha naman kailangan na at I don’t see any objections really from anyone,” he said.
(Well, of course, I requested that from DepEd and asked Inday Sara to give me already a concrete plan because it looks like we don’t have to wait any longer. And it looks like it’s necessary and I don’t see any objections really from anyone.)
“Especially with the El Niño being what it is. Every day you turn on the news, F2F (face-to-face) classes are cancelled, F2F classes have been postponed, etcetera. So, talagang kailangan na kailangan na (it’s really needed). So, yes. That’s part of the plan that we are trying to do to bring back the old schedule,” he added.
In response, DepEd Assistant Secretary Francis Bringas reiterated the department’s commitment to abide by the President’s decision.
“In our letter to OP (Office of the President) regarding DepEd’s proposal for reversion to June-March SY, we already stated that we commit to abide by the President’s decision on the matter. The same statement I made during the Senate hearing last April 30,” he told reporters in a Viber message.
“The most aggressive option I mentioned sa hearing would be ending SY 2024-2025 on March 31, 2025. And yes around 165 school days,” he added.
The DepEd earlier issued a Department Order for the implementation of an adjusted school activities on the remaining days of School Year 2023-2024 to gradually shift back to the April to May school break.
Under Department Order (DO) 03 series of 2024 the end of SY 2023-2024 was set on May 31, setting the two-month break from June 1 to July 26.
The Department of Health earlier reported 67 heat-related illnesses among students since January. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)
