Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri joins the call urging the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to immediately bring back the June to March academic calendar.
As opposed to the plan of DeEd for a gradual transition, Zubiri wants the School Year 2024-2025 to already follow the pre-pandemic academic calendar due to effects of the extreme heat to teachers and students.
"Aside from exposing our students and teachers to the dangers of extreme heat, I honestly believe that the prevailing weather conditions during summer are not conducive to learning" Zubiri warned in a press release.
"Kaya kung pwede sana, huwag na natin hintayin ang school year 2025-2026. Kung kayang ipatupad sa susunod na school year, gawin na natin at kawawa ang ating mga estudyante sa susunod na summer," he added.
Zubiri also announced that he has withdrawn Senate Bill No. 788, which seeks to synchronize the school year to start in August,
"In an ideal world, we do want to be in sync with international school calendars, to give our students a better chance at getting into programs abroad," the senator said.
"But the reality is that the August calendar has proven to be disruptive to our education system, and even dangerous to the health of our children and school staff," he admitted.
In a statement last April 10, DepEd warned that an immediate transition to June to March academic calendar will 'significant impacts not only on learning outcomes but also on the well-being of learners and teachers due to the lack of sufficient breaks'.
Under DepEd Order No. 003, series of 2024, the upcoming School Year will start on July 29 and run until May 16, 2025.
