The Makabayan bloc on Monday filed a bill that seeks to mandate the return of the June-to-March school calendar.
House Bill (HB) 8550 will amend Section 3 of Republic Act (RA) 7797 as amended. RA 7797 was titled “An Act To Lengthen the School Calendar From Two Hundred (200) Days to Not More Than Two Hundred Twenty (220) Class Days.”
“The August-to-May school calendar has proven to be detrimental to the education sector, with students and teachers struggling with prolonged and intensified exposure to heat during the summer months. This has resulted in decreased productivity, poor student performance, and even health problems,” ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro said.
Under the proposal, the school year will start on the first Monday of June but not later than the last day of August, with a provision mandating a June opening for school year 2024 to 2025.
HB 8550 retains the law’s provision stating that in the event of a declaration of a state of emergency or state of calamity, the country’s president, upon the recommendation of the Education secretary, may set a different date for the start of the school year.
Under the proposal, school year 2023 to 2024 will not end later than the fourth week of May 2024 “in consideration of the June school opening” in 2024 under the bill.
Castro said a return to the June-to-March school calendar will also improve the quality of education.
She urged her fellow lawmakers in the House of Representatives to support the bill.
Aside from Castro, the authors of the bill are Gabriela Women’s party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas and Kabataan party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel.
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