PRIVATE schools would be exempted from the Department of Education’s (DepEd) swift move to revert to the old academic calendar beginning in June and ending in March, a DepEd official said in a House panel on Monday.
Asked whether private schools need to follow DepEd’s school calendar shift, DepEd Director Leila P. Areola said: “No, because RA (Republic Act No.) 11480 and 7797 mentions that a private school can actually start the school year not earlier than June 1 and (later than) the last day of August.”
Public schools would potentially conduct Saturday classes for the upcoming academic year to compensate the reduction of school days due to the shift, she added.
“For school year 2024 to 2025, we’re going to start the school year (on) July 29,” Ms. Areola said. “We are taking the aggressive shift, and so we’re considering March 31 as the end of the school year.”
Sweltering heat experienced by students and teachers during the months of April and May drove the DepEd to shift the end of the academic calendar in March 2025, before temperatures start rising dangerously.
“The plan is to revert back to the old academic calendar because of the heat,” Pasig City Rep. Roman T. Romulo said during the House panel hearing in mixed English and Filipino. “To be honest, it’s really hot, our students and teachers find it difficult (to learn and teach).” — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio
