185 Class Days Proposal
– Proposal for 185 class days yearly: The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines suggests adopting a yearly schedule of 185 class days, which includes 180 days of non-negotiable contact time and five days for teachers’ in-service training and learners’ school break.
– Early school year end: The proposed schedule would finish each school year two to three weeks earlier than the current schedule, gradually shifting the school break back to April and May within five years.
– Rationale for April-May break: ACT Chairperson Vladimer Quetua argues that an April-May school break is more suitable for the Philippines due to the hot weather and the peak agricultural harvest season, during which many rural learners participate.
– Two-month school break: The proposed schedule ensures a two-month school break for teachers and learners, addressing the issue of increasingly shortened breaks in recent years and allowing teachers to recuperate from their demanding workload.
– Urgent consideration: ACT hopes that the Department of Education (DepEd) will quickly consider and act on their proposal, as the current schedule negatively impacts the health and welfare of teachers and learners, subsequently affecting learning outcomes.
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) wants to bring back the summer school break. They asked the Department of Education (DepEd) to have only 185 class days per year.
In the past, there were 200 to 205 class days, but ACT thinks 185 days will work better. This change would end the school year two to three weeks earlier, and after five years, the break would be in April and May again.
DepEd is looking at ideas to change the school break, so ACT made this suggestion. They believe it’s possible to reach the learning goals in 185 days, especially since distance learning can be used during class cancellations.
ACT’s leader, Vladimer Quetua, said that having a break in April and May is better for the country. It’s very hot during those months, and many classrooms don’t have air conditioning. Also, it’s the busiest time for farming, which many students take part in.
Their plan also gives teachers and students a two-month break, which has been shorter in recent years. This would help teachers rest and recover from their hard work.
DepEd is encouraged to think about ACT’s idea and act quickly. Quetua says the current schedule is bad for teachers and students, and it affects learning.
PRESS RELEASE
ACT suggests operation of 185 class days yearly to gradually revert to summer school break
With the Department of Education’s (DepEd) commitment to study proposals to revert the school break to summer months, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines suggested for the adoption of 185 class days yearly, based on the DepEd policy for 180 days non-negotiable contact time between teachers and learners, and five days of teachers’ in-service training (INSET) and leaners’ school break in the middle of the school year. ACT said the proposal will finish every school year two to three weeks earlier than the usual schedule and will bring back the school break to April and May after five years.
“Class days have usually been set between 200 to 205 days in the past school years: to include 180 days of non-negotiable contact time; INSET and mid school break; and buffer days for class cancellations due to calamities and other unforeseen circumstances. Given the DepEd’s current policy to use distance learning modalities in the event of class cancellations, and the thrust to declutter the current curriculum to focus on the most essential competencies, we deem it possible to achieve the learning objectives in 185 class days per year,” said Vladimer Quetua, ACT Chairperson.
“The April-May school break is what suits our country best as the hottest months of the year are not conducive to learning, especially with our inadequate, cramped and non-airconditioned classrooms. These are also the peak months for agricultural harvest, which we know that majority of our learners in the rural areas participate in. As such, we must work towards reverting the school calendar to the pre-pandemic schedule,” asserted Quetua.
“Our proposed schedule also ensures two months of school break for teachers and learners, which have been increasingly shortened in recent school years, depriving teachers of their right to ample rest and time to recuperate from the gruelling work for more than ten straight months without sick leave nor vacation leave benefits,” explained Quetua.
“We hope that the DepEd will consider our proposal and act quickly on the matter. We cannot afford to stick to the current schedule that we have right now as it is affecting the health and welfare of our teachers and learners, consequently impacting negatively as well to learning outcomes,” concluded Quetua.#
PRESS RELEASE
10 April 2023
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