MANILA — The Department of Education (DepEd) on Wednesday said they are looking at ending the coming school year 2024-2025 by March 31, 2025, to allow schools to start the 2025-2026 academic year on June 2025 and revert to the old school calendar.

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The statement comes after President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. said that he wants to bring back the old academic calendar by next year as he noted that recent extremely high temperatures have affected the learning of students.

Education Assistant Secretary Francis Cesar Bringas in a televised briefing said that school year 2024-2025 will begin by July 29, 2024 and will likely end by March 31, 2025. This will give students two months of vacation time before the start of the 2025-2026 calendar by June 2025.

“Sa ating current school year, mag-e-end tayo ng May 31, 2024 at ang naka-program na opening natin for school year 2024-2025 ay July 29 – and we are looking now at the possibility of ending 2024-2025 school year by March 31, 2025 para makapag-start tayo ng June 2025 para sa school year 2025-2026,” he said.

This means that the 2024-2025 calendar year will be shortened to only 165 school days, falling short of the 180 to 220 days mandated by law.

 “So, kung titingnan natin because of the shortening of the school year, masu-shorten iyong contact days natin sa mga mag-aaral then we will have to cope with the possible non-covering of some competencies,” Bringas admitted.  

READ: DepEd sets end of school year 2023-2024 on May 31

But at the same time, he assured that the education department will employ several interventions to ensure that all the needed competencies will be covered despite the shortened academic year.

 “That is exactly the same reason why iyong ating Bureau of Learning Delivery ay gumagawa na sila ngayon ng concrete plan on the implementation of the curriculum for a shortened number of school days."