DepEd urges indoor end-of-school ceremonies

MANILA, Philippines — As the extreme heat is expected to continue this month, the Department of Education (DepEd) has advised all schools nationwide to hold their end-of-school-year or EOSY rites, such as graduation and moving-up ceremonies, indoors.

Under DepEd Memorandum No. 023 Series of 2024, issued on May 2, all EOSY rites for school year 2023-2024 shall be conducted on any date from May 29 to 31.

“To ensure the safety and protection of learners, teachers and attendees, schools are advised to hold their EOSY Rites in indoor venues with proper ventilation or covered courts to avoid exposure to the extreme heat of the sun,” the DepEd memorandum read.

“Schools shall avoid scheduling their EOSY Rites during the time of the day when temperatures are at their highest,” it added.

The DepEd also reminded all schools to keep their graduation and moving up ceremonies “simple but meaningful.”

“While these rites mark a milestone in the lives of the learners, graduation and moving-up ceremonies shall be conducted without excessive spending, extravagant attire, or extraordinary venues,” the agency said.

The DepEd also stressed that attendance to non-academic activities such as field trips, film showings, Junior-Senior Promenade and other similar school events, must not be compulsory and “shall not be imposed as graduation or completion requirements.”

For public schools, the DepEd said expenses related to the EOSY activities shall be charged to their respective Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses account, “subject to existing guidelines.”

“No DepEd personnel shall be allowed to collect any kind of contribution or fee for the Graduation/Moving-up Ceremony,” the education agency warned.

The DepEd said the theme for SY 2023-2024 EOSY rites shall be “Kabataang Pilipino Para sa Matatag na Kinabukasan ng Bagong Pilipinas (Filipino youth for stronger future of the new Philippines).”

“This theme highlights the pivotal role of education in shaping Filipino youth as the vanguards in building a stronger and progressive nation,” the DepEd said.

The DepEd said the EOSY rites may be conducted for kindergarten, Grade 6, Grade 10, Grade 12 and Alternative Learning System students who satisfactorily met the curriculum requirements at the end of SY 2023-2024.

SY 2023-2024 was originally slated to end on June 15, but the DepEd last Feb. 19 issued DepEd Order No. 3, s. 2024 adjusting the end of the current school year to May 31. The same DepEd order also set the opening and closing dates for SY 2024-2025 as July 29, 2024 and May 16, 2025, respectively.

Just like last year, onsite classes were suspended in several schools this April due to the extreme heat. This prompted DepEd to craft a more aggressive transition toward the old school calendar, where classes run from June to March and vacation from April to May.
Based on the latest data released by DepEd, 7,949 out of 47,678 public schools nationwide remain under alternative delivery mode (ADM) instead of holding face-to-face classes.

Western Visayas had the most number of schools under ADM at 1,595 followed by Central Luzon at 1,285, Bicol region at 1,203, Zamboanga peninsula at 647, Central Visayas at 482, Ilocos at 466, Mimaropa at 462, Cagayan Valley at 443 and Soccsksargen at 366.

Meanwhile, a total of 255 public schools in Metro Manila remain under ADM.

Also under ADM are 275 schools in Calabarzon, 261 schools in the Cordillera Administrative Region, 108 schools in Northern Mindanao, 72 schools in Eastern Visayas, 28 schools in Davao region and one school in Caraga.

The DepEd previously eyed full return to the old academic calendar by school year 2026-2027 but due to the clamor of several lawmakers and education stakeholders, it said last Tuesday that it has already suggested to President Marcos to end the coming SY 2024-2025 in March 2025 and start the succeeding school year by June.