The Department of Education (DepEd) welcomed on Monday the signing of Republic Act (RA) 11480 which allows the movement of the opening of classes beyond August during times of emergency.
However, it maintained that the August 24 opening of classes still stands.
Education Secretary Leonor Briones thanked President Duterte for signing RA 11480 which amended RA 7797 mandating the Secretary of Education to recommend to the Chief Executive adjustments in the school calendar in “times of national emergency.”
RA No. 11480 amends RA 7797, also known as “An Act to Lengthen the School Calendar from Two Hundred (200) Days to Not More Than Two Hundred Twenty (220) Class Days,” which states that the opening of classes should be between the first Monday of June to the last day of August.
Briones said that the DepEd “has been consulted and has conferred” with the President and the legislators throughout the process. “We will issue corresponding implementing rules and regulations soonest as required by the law,” she added.
DepEd also thanked senators and members of the House of Representatives for the “quick and timely passage of the law.”
Meanwhile, DepEd maintained that the “last approved date of the President is Aug. 24” on the opening of school year 2020-2021.
DepEd added that this “can only be changed upon the recommendation of the Secretary to the President” after “consultations with relevant stakeholders” are made and the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) has been drafted as part of the requisites cited in Section 2 of RA 11480.