The Department of Education (DepEd) said on Thursday that it is pushing for a shift to a three-term school calendar, noting that the proposal seeks to “better organize the academic year” without placing any additional financial burden on parents.
In an exclusive interview on DZRH's Damdaming Bayan, DepEd Officer-in-Charge Undersecretary for the Learning Systems Strand Dr. Carmela Oracion clarified that the initiative should be referred to as a “three-term school calendar” or “three grading period school calendar,” and not a trimester system.
“Gusto natin tawagin na three-term school calendar or three grading period school calendar. Although convenient [pero] ayaw sana natin na hayaan na mabansagan itong trimester kasi ang trimester ay nagkakaroon ng ibang kahulugan sa ibang lugar, katulad ng college level,” Oracion said.
According to Oracion, the proposal was conceived to address issues in the current four-quarter system.
“Ito pong initiative na three-term school calendar ay naisip natin to organize the school year better. Ngayon po mayroon tayong four-quarter, some of the quarters...are very short perhaps the 2nd or 3rd quarter because of the class suspension nagiging napakaikli po niyan,” she explained.
Another concern is the overlap between instructional time and school celebrations and extracurricular activities. She emphasized that reorganizing the school calendar would allow for “clearer separation between academic work and activities,“ improving overall focus and effectiveness.
“Ang atin pong instructional time and celebration and extracurricular activities ay laging naghahalo-halo at nagbabangga din. But for learning and teaching to be effective we need focus,” Oracion said.
“Gusto po natin na makapag-focus ang ating mga guro, ang ating mga mag-aaral sa mga asignatura dealing with instructional time at makapag-focus din sa mga activities when we celebrate extracurricular and co-curricular activities. Ngayon halo-halo, so divided ang mga atensyon ng guro at bata.”
Meanwhile, Oracion assured parents that the proposed change would not result in additional expenses.
She added that parents may also benefit from improved structure in the school year, allowing them to better supervise and support their children’s studies.
“Wala pong karagdagang gastos para sa mga magulang ito. Inoorganize lang natin better. Siguro po pati ang mga magulang natin ay mai-improve din ang kanilang focus, ang supervision sa kanilang mga anak,“ she added.
Oracion stressed that the proposal focus is critical for students’ success. Under the proposed system, academic and co-curricular activities would each have dedicated periods, allowing students to maximize learning and personal development.
“Sa ating mga mag-aaral napakahalaga talaga ng focus...We are able to support the student so that they focus on their learning task throughout a given period of time," she said.
She added that the change would help promote a more “holistic and well-rounded“ education, where both academics and co-curricular or club activities are given proper time.
For teachers, Oracion said workloads and benefits would remain unchanged in terms of employment conditions. However, administrative demands would be reduced.
Under the current system, educators prepare examinations and grades four times per year. Oracion said the shift to three terms would reduce these administrative tasks, giving teachers more time to focus on teaching and mentoring students, while all benefits for teachers remain intact.
“Mababawasan ang kanilang workloads and that is very significant for the teachers,“ she said.
The DepEd official emphasized that the three-term school calendar remains a proposal.
Earlier, Malacañang said it would be better if the shift to a trimester system undergoes a thorough study first and public consultations regarding the plan to implement it for the incoming school year 2026–2027.
Meanwhile, the Teachers Dignity Coalition believes that implementing a trimester system in basic education is a big change and must be discussed with all stakeholders.
