Go leaving it up to gov't whether or not to revert to old academic calendar
Senator Bong Go (Senate PRIB)
Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, chairman of the Senate Health and Demography Committee, is leaving to government what to do with recommendations to revert to the old academic calendar. The decision by the education and tourism departments should safeguard the physical well-being of all students, teachers, and other school workers alike, Go said. ‘’Pinag-aaralan naman nila ito (They are studying this). Personally, bilang senador, sa totoo lang kaya nga po tinatawag nating summer, summer mainit (As a senator, when we call summer, it is really hot). So, baka mahirapan po ang mga estudyanteng mag-aral (So, our students might be badly affected),” he added. He observed that not all classrooms have air-conditioning units. ‘’May ibang classroom, wala pong electric fan, mainit lalong-lalo na po sa mga lugar na walang puno, flat na areas, napakainit po (There are classrooms that do not have electric fans, particularly in areas where there are no plants, flat areas, it is really hot). At ayaw naman nating mag-suffer ang mga estudyante sa kanilang pag-aaral, hindi sila makapagconcentrate (We don’t want the students to suffer, they may not be able to concentrate),” he explained. Recently, the Department of Education (Deped) stated that it would form a group to study the proposal to return to the old academic calendar where school breaks run from April to May, citing the concerns about holding classes in the summer heat. A survey of around 11,000 teachers was recently conducted where it showed that at least 67 percent of public school teachers complained that students are easily distracted due to the uncomfortable and intolerable heat inside the classroom, which make schools not conducive to learning. To further ensure the wellness of Filipino students, Go likewise pushed for the passage of Senate Bill (SB) No.1786, which seeks to mandate public higher education institutions (HEIs) to establish Mental Health Offices in their respective campuses. The proposed measure shall mandate educational institutions to raise awareness on mental health issues, identify and provide support and services for individuals at risk, and facility access by developing necessary mechanisms to further empower educational institutions in promoting the mental health and wellness of students, faculty, teaching and non-teaching staff, and other personnel.