The government is looking into reverting the start of the school year break back to March, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. revealed on Monday.
Marcos bared the plan in an online interview after the Covid-19 pandemic forced the government to move the summer school break to July and August.
When asked if the summer vacation would be moved back to March, Marcos said the decision would be released “very soon.”
“We are carefully studying the matter because many people are saying that it’s okay to lift the restrictions since the lockdown is already over. Most schools have already resumed face-to-face classes, with only a few exceptions,” he said.
“We have to consider the seasonal changes because that is a challenge when deciding whether to lift or not, as it is difficult to predict when the rainy season will start or when it will become hot,” Marcos explained.
With the hybrid system the government is implementing, which involves a combination of online and in-person classes, Marcos said many students are eager to attend their classes.
However, he said that the slight increase in Covid cases in certain areas should also be considered.
Marcos noted that the World Health Organization still considers Covid-19 a health emergency.
Earlier reports indicated that the WHO would review whether or not to lift the declaration of Covid-19 as a “public health emergency of international concern” during its meeting in May.
Meanwhile, the Department of Education is studying the possibility to bring back to April and May the summer school break.
“We are studying the proposal to move back the April and May school break,” DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa said in a Viber message on Monday.
Poa earlier said that principals and school heads have the authority to suspend classes and switch to alternative delivery modes due to extreme weather heat.
“As mentioned in my previous response, the principals/school heads have been reminded of their authority and responsibility to suspend in-person classes and switch to alternative delivery modes if it is very hot and harmful to the health of our students and personnel,” he said.