Amid proposal to bring back old academic calendar

AMID the recommendations to revert to the old academic calendar, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go expressed his confidence that the government will be able to come up with a beneficial solution that will safeguard the physical well-being of all students, teachers, and other school workers alike.

“We will leave that to our education and tourism departments. Pinag-aaralan naman nila ito. Personally, bilang senador, sa totoo lang kaya nga po tinatawag nating summer, summer mainit. So, baka mahirapan po ang mga estudyanteng mag-aral,” said Go in an ambush interview after personally providing assistance to fire victims in Parañaque City on Wednesday, April 12.

“Hindi naman po lahat ng classroom naka-aircon. May ibang classroom, wala pong electric fan, mainit lalong-lalo na po sa mga lugar na walang puno, flat na areas, napakainit po. At ayaw naman nating mag-suffer ang mga estudyante sa kanilang pag-aaral, hindi sila makapagconcentrate,” he cited.

Recently, the Department of Education mentioned that it will form a group to study the proposal to return to the old academic calendar where school breaks run from April to May, citing the concerns about holding classes in the summer heat.

A survey of around 11,000 teachers was recently conducted where it showed that at least 67% of public school teachers complained that students are easily distracted due to the uncomfortable and intolerable heat inside the classroom, which make schools not conducive to learning.

“May tiwala naman po tayo sa ating mga education and tourism officials na maaaring pag-aralan nilang mabuti at sila po ang mas nakakaalam diyan kung maaari bang ibalik sa dating school calendar ‘yung summer vacation,” Go expressed.

To further ensure the wellness of Filipino students, Go likewise pushed for the passage of SBN 1786, which seeks to mandate public higher education institutions (HEIs) to establish Mental Health Offices in their respective campuses.

The proposed measure shall mandate educational institutions to raise awareness on mental health issues, identify and provide support and services for individuals at risk, and facility access by developing necessary mechanisms to further empower educational institutions in promoting the mental health and wellness of students, faculty, teaching and non-teaching staff, and other personnel.

“Mayroon din akong sariling nai-file din po sa Senado para naman po sa higher educational institutions. Ito pong Establishing Mental Health Offices and Mental Health Programs in SUCs po. Ito pong Senate Bill 1786. Alam n’yo marami pong apektado noong panahon po ng pandemya. Hindi lang po nu’ng panahon ng pandemya, hanggang ngayon po. Mental health is very important to address just like any other health concern,” the senator underscored.

AUTHOR PROFILE

People's Journal