Reverting to the old April and May summer break in schools is not as simple as it sounds, said President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos on Monday, April 24, in response to a proposal coming from a legislator and groups of concerned parents.
Lakan Dula Elementary School in Tondo, Manila holds dry run of school opening for School Year 2022-2023 (Ali Vicoy/MANILA BULLETIN)
Though the Chief Executive stated that this is currently being studied, he took note of the many considerations that have to be made.
“It’s not as simple you would imagine palitan natin dahil wala ng lockdown. Nagbago pati ‘yung weather, isa pang problemang tinitingnan natin (It’s not as simple you would imagine let’s change it because there’s no lockdown. The weather has also changed, it’s one other problem we’re looking at),” he explained during an online interview with former Social Welfare secretary Erwin Tulfo and Niña Corpuz.
Marcos isn’t immune to calls for the return of the summer break to April-May since there is no more lockdown and many schools are now conducting face-to-face classes.
“Since hindi na tayo naka-lockdown, eh balik na lang natin siguro sa dati, but kung kailan kasi gagawin yun actual na semester, kung kailan mag-uumpisa ang bakasyon ay hindi pa nade-decide dahil meron pa rin tayong mga cases na makikita natin ‘yung Covid umaakyat na naman (Since we are not on lockdown anymore, let’s maybe go back to before, but when the actual semester will be done, when vacation will start it has not been decided yet because we still have cases of Covid that’s increasing again),” the President said.
He, however, offered comfort that although the replication rate of Covid cases is rising, “we are better than most other countries.”
Noting that there is still an “emergency” according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Chief Executive said the country must still follow it’s advice.
“Pero palagay ko yun diskusyon na ‘yan madedesisyunan ‘yan very soon on what will be—ano ‘yung tama (But I think the discussions there will be decided on very soon on what will be—what is right),” Marcos added.
The school year and summer break are dependent on the “seasons,” he explained, as he lamented how difficult it is to predict the sunny and rainy weather because of climate change.
Currently, the school break is from July to August because of the effects of the two-year lockdown on learners.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate basic education committee, first made the call after more than 100 students in Cabuyao, Laguna were taken to a hospital due to hunger and dehydration because the heat index hovered between 39 to 42 degrees Celsius.
Parents on social media have also made the same call as students, especially in public schools, are suffering from having to commute and attend classes amid the high heat index.