DEPED – According to the Department of Education (DepEd), instructors and students will benefit from a return to the previous school year.

The Department of Education (DepEd) said on Wednesday that shortening the timeframe for reverting to the previous school calendar would significantly impact the well-being of both students and educators.

This assertion from DepEd comes in response to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s recent statement indicating the government’s interest in expediting the return to the old school calendar schedule.

However, DepEd defended its previously announced timeline for the gradual reintroduction of the April-May break, emphasizing that it was formulated after extensive consultations with various stakeholders, including personnel, student leaders, parent organizations, and teacher associations.

DepEd underscored that further reducing the timeline would not only affect academic performance but also negatively impact the physical and mental health of students and teachers due to inadequate breaks.

“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 in a statement.

DepEd highlighted that the gradual transition has already been shortened from the initially proposed five years to a two-year plan.

Moreover, DepEd disclosed that 5,844 out of 47,678 public schools nationwide have already implemented alternative delivery modes (ADMs) of education in response to extreme heat conditions in certain regions.

According to DepEd, this disparity among schools necessitates granting school administrators the discretion to switch to ADMs promptly to address heat-related issues, rather than hastily implementing changes that could further disrupt learning recovery efforts.

“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.

DepEd further announced its intention to seek clarification from Marcos regarding his recent announcement.

“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,” DepEd said.

As per Department Order No. 003 S. of 2024, DepEd anticipates concluding the academic year by April 2 for the school years 2026 to 2027, with the following school year (2027 to 2028) expected to end around March.

Prior to this, the academic year 2024 to 2025 is scheduled to commence on Monday, July 29, and conclude on Friday, May 16, 2025.

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