THE proposal seeking to change the school calendar is gaining support in the House of Representatives.

Ilocos Sur Rep. Ronald Singson asked his colleagues in the Lower House to study a proposed measure that seeks to modify the start of the school year.

House Bill (HB) No. 8508, which covers all basic education institutions in the country, including foreign and international schools, seeks to establish the first Monday of June of every year as the start of the academic year, harmonizing the opening of the academic year for all Philippine schools.

The bill would amend Republic Act (RA) No. 7797, as amended, otherwise known as ” An Act to Lengthen the School Calendar from Two Hundred (200) Days to Not More Than Two Hundred Twenty (220) Class Days”.

“More than overhauling, revising, and redesigning the existing curriculum, other issues on education, such as setting a school calendar that is most beneficial to learners, should also be considered,” said Singson, author of the said bill.

The change in the academic calendar was the result of the two year lockdown on learners. However, according to Singson, the lifting of pandemic restrictions and the full implementation of face-to-face classes should prompt the Department of Education to gradually change the school calendar due to several pressing factors.

“The extreme heat experienced by teachers and students during the dry season, which is deemed not conducive to learning, and the students being unable to enjoy the school break because of the rainy season are the main reasons why we should change the opening of schools,” he said.

He also added that while it is difficult to predict the weather due to climate change, the former school calendar is what suits our country best.

Recently, calls to bring back the April-May school summer break have been made after more than 100 students in Cabuyao, Laguna were taken to a hospital due to hunger and dehydration because the heat index hovered between 39 to 42 degrees Celsius.

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Ryan Ponce Pacpaco