DEPARTMENT of Education (Deped) Secretary Leonor Briones said the agency is not considering changing the school calendar for elementary and secondary levels anytime soon, thus opening of classes in public schools will still be on June 3.
Briones said in a press conference Monday, April 29, that the education curriculum in the country is not yet ready to change its academic calendar to August for public schools.
She said she is hesitant to shift the academic year due to several reasons, including school facilities, the students’ health, and the lined-up activities scheduled for the summer season that might be affected by the calendar shift.
She also said changing the school calendar would clash other activities that are scheduled by the students’ families during summer months, including family bonding and other personal reasons.
But she said private schools have discretion whether to shift their school opening or not.
"We are looking forward to be opening the schools in June, and you can be assured that as we start, as we are now in the second half of the Duterte administration and second half in the implementation of the 10-Point Education Reform Agenda, we will be exerting great efforts," Briones said.
Earlier, the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) released a memorandum recommending State Colleges and Universities (SUCs) and Local Colleges and Universities (LCUs) to shift their academic calendar to August.
The Ched recommendation came after the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) proposed a cash-based budgeting system of which only projects to be implemented within a fiscal year will be funded.
However, Briones said not all colleges are considering shifting its school calendar for various reasons.
Briones was in Davao City during the opening of the 2019 Palarong Pambansa on Sunday, April 28, wherein Davao City is the host.