AN OFFICIAL of the Department of Education-Davao Region (DepEd-Davao) has clarified that they have been following the mandatory “No-Homework Policy” for weekends in elementary to junior level for several years already.
DepEd-Davao spokesperson Jenielito Atillo disclosed in an interview with dxDC-RMN Davao that such a measure has been a longstanding policy stipulated in the DepEd Order No. 392 series of 2010 during the leadership of former Education secretary Armin Luistro.
“Ang tumong ana magamit sa bata ang weekends niya para sa iyang panahon, para sa iyang mga aktibidades para mas mabati niya ang iyahang pagkabata. Mao nay intent sa DepEd Order. We enjoin everybody when we say everybody, atong mga magtutudlo sukad pa sauna nga paglusot ani, pagasundon siya para sa atong mga bata. That was communicated to all public schools in the country,” the official said, further explaining that teachers should consider the need to balance giving activities to their learners.
(The goal is for the child to use their weekends for his time for their activities so that he can experience and feel his childhood. That is the intent of the DepEd Order. We enjoin everybody. When we say everybody, it means our teachers. Ever since the policy was passed they must abide by this policy for the sake of the children. That was communicated to all public schools in the country).
Earlier this week, Datu Bago awardee and museum curator Darrel Blatchley, who owns D' Bone Collectors Museum in Davao City, posted a conversation with his son’s teacher who seemingly demanded an assignment to be submitted even on “weekend.”
“It's amazing that a private school teacher in Davao would actually contact my youngest son at 6 p.m. on a Saturday on his messenger assigning him and all his classmates a 450 to 500 word assignment to be turned in by 11 p.m. Sunday. When my son said I would spend the weekend with my Dad, the teacher's response was “NOT MY PROBLEM" Hmm a 24-year-old teacher telling a student that while she herself is breaking Philippine Law,” he explained.
Meanwhile, a day after it was posted, Blatchley clarified that the teacher messaged him and admitted that she was just “confused.”
“The teacher messaged [me] and my son apologizing for ‘confusion’ and wanted the post removed before it got ‘spread’ that and her family had seen it. I NEVER posted her name, but hopefully she will learn to have compassion for her students and not forget why she is a teacher and not use it as a power trip,” Blatchley’s post read.
However, on Tuesday, October 22, Blatchley posted another update regarding the issue, saying that the teacher who is currently teaching at Sped Academy of Buhangin wanted to reach out to his ex-wife to help her clear the issue out.
“SPED ACADEMY BUHANGIN YOU HAVE JUST CROSSED THE LINE. I went in to resolve the issue of your teacher’s disrespect to my son and the breaking of the law and contacting my 13 year old son at 6pm on a Saturday and then harassing him non stop to remove a post that showed what she did. YOUR RESPONCE WAS TO CALL MY EX? AND DISRESPECT MY WIFE SAYING YOU HAVE TO TALK TO THE BIOLOGICAL MOTHER! I gave you the chance to resolve this. YOU DISRESPECTED ME, MY WIFE AND MY SON. ACTION WILL FOLLOW, [sic],” he penned.
In 2023, Senator Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. introduced a bill to ban homework in elementary and junior high schools on weekends, arguing that homework detracts from students' productivity and attitude toward learning, which in turn causes lower grades and higher dropout rates.
The "No Homework Act of 2023," also known as Senate Bill No. 1792, would only permit homework during the week and would not be required on weekends. Additionally, the homework would only need to be modest, taking no more than two hours to complete, and would only be required voluntarily. DEF