Senate President Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri urged the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to return to the pre-pandemic calendar this coming school year (SY).

This is instead of a gradual return in SY 2025-2026 that will further subject students and teachers to possible health hazards next summer.

According to Zubiri, the almost unbearable summer temperature rise and the recurring cancellation of face-to-face classes are compelling reasons to fast-track the return to a June to March academic calendar and spare students and teachers from the ill effects of the extreme heat.

“Aside from exposing our students and teachers to the dangers of extreme heat, I honestly believe that the prevailing weather conditions during summer are not conducive to learning,” Zubiri said.

“Kaya kung pwede sana, huwag na natin hintayin ang school year 2025-2026. Kung kayang ipatupad sa susunod na school year, gawin na natin at kawawa ang ating mga estudyante sa susunod na summer (If possible, let's not wait for school year 2025-2026. If we can do this in the upcoming school year, let's do it to ease the difficulty that students are set to experience next summer),” the Senate chief added.

Zubiri said he also withdrew Senate Bill No. 788, filed at the start of the 19th Congress, which synchronizes the school year to start in August.

“In an ideal world, we do want to be in sync with international school calendars, to give our students a better chance at getting into programs abroad,” he said.

“But the reality is that the August calendar has proven to be disruptive to our education system, and even dangerous to the health of our children and school staff,” he added.

Zubiri noted that when class suspensions due to the extreme heat started on April 4, a total of 4,000 schools suspended face-to-face classes and switched to asynchronous and distance learning modes. A week after, on April 12, a total of 7,000 schools suspended face-to-face classes, in both cases affecting more than a million students.

Since then, DepEd’s Department Order 37 has been implemented, giving school heads the authority and discretion to suspend in-person classes and shift to alternative delivery modes in cases of extreme heat, which even reached as high as 45 degrees Celsius in some parts of the country.

In many LGUs such as Quezon City, face-to-face classes are automatically suspended in public schools when the heat index hits 40 degrees Celsius or higher, and private schools are given the discretion to do the same.

The DepEd already said it is implementing measures to gradually return to the pre-pandemic school year, which was changed in 2020 due to the lockdown implemented to combat the spread of the COVID-19 public health crisis.

“Pero sa nakikita natin ngayon, mas maganda na ibalik na natin sa dati sa susunod na school year. Huwag na nating i-expose ang ating mga students and teachers sa ganitong weather conditions (With the way we see it now, it would be better to revert to the old school calendar next school year. Let's not expose the students and teachers to this weather condition),” Zubiri expressed.

DepEd has already declared a nationwide suspension of in-person classes from April 29 to 30.

“Our LGUs and DepEd are making the right call with these suspensions, given the danger of heat strokes in our schools, especially since most of our schools do not yet have air conditioning,” Zubiri noted.

These suspensions, he stated, necessitate a return to the June-to-March school year.