President Marcos has ordered the gradual return of the school calendar to the old arrangement as he approved the start of classes next school year on July 29.
The opening of classes next school year will begin on July 29, 2024, and will end on April 15, 2025.
The move aims to gradually return to the old school calendar, which used to start in June of every year until the end of March the next year.
Malacañang made the announcement following Marcos' meeting with Vice President Sara Duterte, who heads the Department of Education (DepEd), at the Malacañan Palace to discuss the two options for the implementation of the school year (SY) 2024-2025 calendar.
During the meeting, Marcos directed Duterte to start the return of the standard school calendar days starting next school year.
The Vice President presented two options to the President for the school calendar shift.
The first option comprised of 180 school days with 15 in-person Saturday classes while the second option was to have 165 school days with no in-person Saturday classes. Both options will end the SY on March 31, 2025.
But the President said the 165-day school calendar is “too short" as such arrangement will significantly reduce the number of school days and contact time that may compromise learning outcomes.
He also did not want students to be going to school on Saturdays to complete the 180-day school calendar as it will jeopardize their well-being and demand more resources.
As a compromise, he said instead of ending on March 31, 2025, DepEd should adjust the SY to end on April 15, 2025 to enable students to complete 180 days without using Saturdays to go to school.
“Habaan lang natin yung school days. Para matagal, dagdagan na lang natin yung school days basta huwag natin gagalawin yung Saturday (Let's make the school days longer. Let's just add the school days instead of including Saturday). So, school day will remain the same. Standard lang,” President Marcos told Duterte.
The decision to revert to the old school calendar was prompted by the extreme heat amid the El Niño phenomenon, causing schools, including private schools, to suspend classes several times since April this year.
School year for 2023 to 2024 will end this May.