Local teachers group pushes for April-May school break

BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA

BACOLOD City – A local teachers group joined calls to return to the previous April to May school break.

The call stemmed from an incident in Calamba, Laguna, last month where several students were hospitalized after suffering from heat exhaustion during a fire drill.

Richard Gelangre, president of the Bacolod City Public School Teachers Federation, said it is not only the students who are complaining about the uncomfortable heat, as some teaching staff pointed out that their students are unable to focus well on their studies.

Gelangre said they recently held a survey, and a large majority of the students and teachers in the city agreed that the vacation period should be during summer.

Earlier this month, students from various schools in Negros Occidental complained of high temperatures in their classrooms.

Holding the vacation period from April to May will offer greater efficiency, said Gelangre.

Gelangre also pointed out the economic benefits of the previous school break schedule: business establishments earn more during the summer due to the number of economic holidays in those months.

Department of Education (DepEd) Negros Occidental spokesperson Ian Arnold Arnaiz admitted that school rooms lack electric fans that would help cool down students.

Based on DepEd guidelines, the school year has been extended for another week. Graduation ceremonies this year are to be held from July 10 to 14.

Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson is also in favor of a proposal made by Senate Committee chairperson Senator Sherwin Gatchalian to return the old school calendar.

Lacson said the current situation demands a rethinking of the prevailing school calendar.

“If we follow the current academic calendar, the school break is during the rainy season. Students cannot go out and relax,” Lacson said.

Lacson also said the months of April to May are the only suitable time for the country’s students to unwind.

The scorching heat is not conducive to learning, the governor added.

During the Duterte administration, the DepEd adjusted the country’s school calendar to keep pace with the international educational system.

DepEd also adopted the current August-to-July school calendar when lockdowns were imposed in 2020 during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic.

DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa said the department will look into the matter, although initially, the department has “no plans” to revert to the old academic calendar./PN

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