In this time of unpredictable weather brought about by what scientists and environmentalists call climate change, our Department of Education (DepEd) should revert to the usual or traditional school break in the months of April and May instead of the months of June and July.
The change in the school break in our educational system was affected by the implementation of the K to 12 educational programs in 2013. What used to be a 10-year basic education became 13 years under the K to 12 by virtue of Republic Act 10533, otherwise known as an “Act Enhancing the Philippine Basic Education System by Strengthening its Curriculum and Increasing the Number of Years for Basic Education,” supposedly so that the country could catch up with the educational system in developed countries.
We only have two seasons.
The months of January February, March, April and May are the dry months. We associate summer with the months of March, April and May, which have drier and hotter days. The months from June to December are the wet or rainy season. And, in our day, the months of April and May were the school break that students looked forward to because it was “summer vacation” and they could relax and go to their home province or to other places.
But because of the extreme heat that we have experienced in the past few days, the Cebu City Council approved a resolution authored by City Councilor Rey Gealon asking local Department of Education (DepEd) officials to consider online classes.
Mayor Michael Rama, though, opposed the idea, saying that in online classes students would just face their computers and have plenty of distractions. Plus, not all students live in comfortable homes, he said.
However, the mayor is not aware of DepEd Order 037, s. 2022 that allows modular distance learning in schools affected by extreme weather conditions.
DepEd 7 Director Salustiano Jimenez said school heads are authorized to cancel in-person classes during extreme weather condition for the learners’ well-being.
Both Rama and the City Council have good reasons for whatever political intentions.
As it turned out, the council resolution only enhances DepEd Order 037, s. 2022 that was reiterated in memorandum OASOPS 2023-077, dated April 20, 2023, and addressed to all regional directors, school division superintendents and public and private school heads.
The proposal of Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate basic education committee, to revert summer vacation to the months of April and May should be given attention by Congress and consideration by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
Senator Gatchalian made the proposal after he learned that students from a school in Cabuyao City suffered from dehydration and exhaustion while participating in fire and earthquake drills earlier this month.
Gatchalian said moving the vacation back to April and May is ideal because it is the best time for students to go out and spend time with their families as opposed to the months of June and July, which are the wet months.
In the United States, June and July are summer months.
In an interview, President Marcos Jr. said the government is studying the possibility of moving the school vacation to March since the classes are now in-person and Covid-19 is now deemed endemic.
Indeed, the best solution to the issue is for the DepEd to hold summer vacation in the months of April and May instead of June and July for the good and well-being of students.