DepEd exec: School year to revert, but not now

CEBU, Philippines — The academic calendar will eventually be reverted back to its original schedule, but not this year, so said DepEd-7 Regional Director Salustiano Jimenez, as cutting short the current school year may invalidate the students’ record.

Jimenez, in an interview with The FREEMAN, said they have been receiving requests urging them to revert back to the old academic school year which starts in June, the latest of which is from the Cebu City Council.

“There’s so many, actually…And in fact, I told them, I am with them in relation to that,” Jimenez said.

However, it cannot be done right away as there is a minimum number of school days required by the law. The law provides that each academic year should have 200 to 220 days of classes.

“The concern here, or the issue here, is that we cannot just cut the number of school days. We cannot cut automatically the schoolyear to start June. Dili pwede nga May ra ta mo-end unya mosugod dayon tag June. If dili na ma-comply, ma-invalid ang records sa mga bata,” Jimenez said.

Aside from that, if the current school year will be cut short abruptly, the teachers more than anyone else are expected to object to this, Jimenez said.

“Moreklamo na pud na. Last time gani, one month kapin, nireklamo ang mga teachers kay wa na silay bakasyon, wala silay pahulay, mao ni, mao na,” added Jimenez.

Jimenez explained that DepEd has already slowly reverted it back to the original calendar year.

“Gianam-anam gyud na gani na nga mogamay na lang ang time sa vacation para gyud mobalik na ta sa original. Sa kasagsagan sa Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, we started November. Then in 2021, October then in 2022 in August. Nagkaanam na gyud tag balik. Mao na siya, mao ra man pud nay target nato,” Jimenez said.

However, No date yet had been set for the start of the new school year as it is still being deliberated.

Jimenez said no one may oppose this move to revert to the old academic year as the school and its calendar are not designed for summer.

“Walay mo-kontra ani kay our schools are not designed for summer. Gi-design ng school June to March. Ang April ug March supposedly para gyud for vacation. Karon, vacation ra ta, dili na summer vacation. Ang DepEd okay ra gyud ana. Ang amoa lang is the law. Between a resolution and a law, of course, the law will prevail. Dili ta pwede mo-cut deretso. Kung pwede pa lang, okay ra gyud na. Kumbati gyud ta dayon,” said Jimenez.

To address the concern about the children's health under extreme weather conditions though, Jimenez said, schools are empowered already to do alternative delivery modes of learning.

There are some schools in almost all divisions that are already either doing online, modules, shortened periods of classes and other modes of learning. Most of those doing online classes are from private schools.

“We emphasize and also re-emphasize during our regional mancom (management committee) with the superintendents to monitor lang or divisions and region, but the school principal has the discretion to decide depende sa situation,” said Jimenez. (FREEMAN)