For the first time in six years, the school year in the Philippines begins in its traditional month of June. This happens today, Monday, June 8, marking the return to the customary academic calendar from June to March of the following year.
DepEd's Move Commended
The Department of Education (DepEd) deserves praise for this step, as it brings significant benefits to students. In 2020, the DepEd was forced to change the traditional school calendar, shifting the start to August and ending in June of the following year due to the global pandemic. This disruption affected not only the education sector but all aspects of society.
Challenges of the Adjusted Calendar
With the change in the traditional school calendar, millions of students and teachers suffered from discomfort inside classrooms because the school year coincided with the summer heat. In such conditions, it is not surprising that students could not focus properly on lessons. Moreover, the health of students and teachers was at risk due to constant exposure to extreme heat.
Return to Normalcy
Fortunately, these issues will end with the return to the usual school calendar. However, this development harbors a potential new challenge for students and teachers: the rainy season. How prepared are local government units across the country, especially in areas still facing educational problems?
Take, for example, the province of Cebu, which was hit by successive calamities: a 6.9-magnitude earthquake and Typhoon Tino in the latter part of last year. Although several months have passed, areas severely affected by these disasters are still recovering.
Hope for Recovery
Nevertheless, the most important thing is that the old school schedule has been restored, and it is hoped that this will help in the full recovery of areas affected by the calamities.
