Revert to old school calendar system

THERE’S logic in the move of Makabayan lawmakers to revert to the pre-pandemic school calendar of June to March, following complaints about “intolerable heat” in classrooms during the summer days. This shift to the old school year calendar has in fact, Santa Banana, gotten the support of teachers and students!

There is also logic in the move to reschedule the school calendar to enable students in far flung areas to help their farmer families in the agricultural sector to plant and to harvest in line with the planting and harvest season.

This bill had been proposed in House Bill 8550 which proposed that schools should start in the first Monday of June, but not after the last day of August, with a particular provision for a June opening for school year 2024 to 2025 which will ensure the urgent return to the pre- pandemic school calendar. Along this proposal, the proponents for the “early” closing of the calendar year 2023-2024 and the granting of an appropriate number of service credits to teachers, which would reduce by a few days the last 180-day “non-negotiable contact time” set by the Department of Education.

Considering that this proposal has the backing and support of teachers and students, and hopefully, also the support of all legislators in both chambers of Congress, it would also do well for Vice President Sara Duterte as Department of Education secretary to fully support this move considering that both teachers and students are supporting it, my gulay!

And I would hope that this move would also have the full support of President Marcos Jr, in his capacity as agriculture secretary because students in far flung areas and engaged in agriculture would be able to help their families during planting and harvest time.