The Education Department withdraws its earlier proposal to shorten the two-week summer vacation of students after getting flak and criticisms online.
“It was among the many options we were considering but noting the objections from our stakeholders, we will no longer propose a two-week break,” Education Undersecretary Diosdado San Antonio said in a message to reporters.
In a report on GMA News last month, San Antonio said that DepEd is considering extending the school year and shortening the scheduled summer vacation of students.
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This week, DepEd adjusted the current school calendar and declared that the end of the term will be in July rather than in June.
But officials could not say if changes in the school calendar would shorten the summer break.
“The opening of classes in the next school year is still under deliberation,” Education Undersecretary Nepomuceno Malaluan said.
In an order, Education Secretary Leonor Briones said the department identified learning gaps that continue to be experienced by students due to the implementation of distance learning.
The new calendar adjusts the third grading period from March 22 to May 15 and the fourth quarter from May 17 to July 10, based on the order. The second quarter ended last February 27.
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The fourth quarter was originally scheduled to end by June 11.
“So we are very careful in calibrating itong bakasyon kasi nakabakasyon na sila ng anim na buwan, magdagdag nanaman tayo ng bakasyon,” Briones said.
The department has the opening of classes to October from the original schedule of August last year to allow the transition to distance learning.
“So we have a lot of catching up to do. Remember, other countries opened in June. We opened in October. So pag sabihin mong iextend mo yung vacation, we have to balance also the impact of another series of no classes and so on when the children are asking for academic ease,” Briones said. (TDT)
