MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The Department of Education (DepEd) on Tuesday announced the gradual return of the old school break starting next school year (SY).
DepEd made the pronouncement through Department Order No. 003 S. of 2024, which declared May 31, 2024 as the new adjusted end date of the current SY 2023 to 2024.
It also declared the start of SY 2024 to 2025 to be on Monday, July 29, and the end on Friday, May 16, 2025.
鈥淢agiging gradual 鈥榶ung shift ng ating school calendar 鈥� back to the usual April [to] May break. So ngayon, ang ginawa po natin ay mage-end tayo ng May 31, pero magstart pa rin tayo around July 29,鈥� DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa told reporters in a chance interview.
(The shift in our school calendar will be gradual 鈥� back to the usual April to May break. So what we鈥檝e done now is we will end on May 31, but we will still start around July 29.)
鈥淎nd then slowly, imomove natin siya back until bumalik tayo doon sa normal na April May break,鈥� he added.
(And then slowly, we will move it back until we return to the normal April to May break.)
READ: DepEd urged: Let SY 2024-2025 return to old school calendar听
Originally, the end of SY 2023 to 2024 was supposed to be June 14.
With the adjusted end of the school year, the school break this year will be from June 1 to July 26, 2024.
According to Poa, the decision to revert to the old academic calendar was based on 鈥渨hat majority of Filipinos want,鈥� citing surveys and the results of their own field consultations.
鈥淕enerally everyone wants to go back to April May [break],鈥� said Poa.
With the gradual revert to the old school calendar, Poa said DepEd expects an April 2 end of class in SY 2026 to 2027, with SY 2027 to 2028 expected to end around March.
Based on DepEd鈥檚 projected timeline, the respective start and end of SYs until 2028 are as follows:
- For SY 2026-2027: Start of SY 鈥� June 22, 2026; End of SY (EOSY) 鈥� April 2, 2027
- For SY 2027-2028: Start of SY 鈥� June 07, 2027; EOSY 鈥� March 17, 2028
- Proposed opening for SY 2028-2029: June 5, 2028
When asked if the adjustment drastically changed the number of school days for SY 2023 to 2024, Poa responded that it did not, since only around seven to eight days were deducted in the current SY.
鈥淗indi ganoong karami ang nabasawasan sa school days natin; if I鈥檓 not mistaken, around seven to eight days lang ang nabawas for this SY,鈥� said Poa.
(Not too many school days were reduced; if I鈥檓 not mistaken, only around seven to eight days were deducted for this school year.)
鈥淗indi kasi talaga natin pwedeng bawasan kaagad 鈥榶on, dahil nga hindi naman matutunan ng bata lahat ng competencies na kailangan nila. That鈥檚 why magiging gradual shift,鈥� he added.
(We really can鈥檛 immediately reduce those days because children won鈥檛 be able to learn all the competencies they need. That鈥檚 why the shift will be gradual.)
He also assured the public that the adjustment was based on extensive consultations with several stakeholders, which also included ensuring that student and teacher competencies would not be affected.
Meanwhile, for private schools, Poa said they can still choose to either follow DepEd鈥檚 guidelines or set their own school calendars, so long as it abides by the law.
鈥淣akasulat sa batas that schools cannot open before the first Monday of June or later than the last day of August,鈥� said Poa.
(There鈥檚 a provision in the law that schools cannot open before the first Monday of June or later than the last day of August.)
Exams, other schedules
In the new school calendar, the third Quarter Examinations during SY 2023 to 2024 will be on March 25 to 26, while the Fourth Quarter Exam begins on May 16 until 17, 2024.
DepEd also encouraged schools to conduct their respective EOSY Rites from May 29 to 31, 2024.
Meanwhile, DepEd national activities will be conducted on the following dates:
- Palarong Pambansa: July 6 鈥� 17, 2024
- National Festival of Talents: July 9 鈥� 13, 2024
- National Schools Press Conference: July 9 鈥� 13, 2024
- Learners鈥� Convergence: July 9 鈥� 15, 2024
Furthermore, under the DO, no voluntary or mandatory tasks or activities shall be given to teachers from June 1 to 30, 2024.
READ: DepEd confirms 鈥榞radual鈥� return to old school sked