Recommendations on shift of academic calendar out Monday

MANILA, Philippines - The technical working group created by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to study the academic calendar shift will submit its recommendations on Monday, an education official revealed yesterday.

“The TWG-AC will present their recommendations to CHED management committee/Commission en banc on Monday subject to approval of the commission,” said the CHED official.

The CHED created the high-level Technical Working Group on the Academic Calendar (TWG-AC) to carefully study and provide recommendations on the school calendar shift.

The TWG-AC is composed of stakeholders from the education sector and is headed by former CHED chair and University of the East president Ester Garcia.

Other members of TWG-AC are the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations, Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges, Department of Education, National Youth Commission and representatives from large universities and small colleges.

The University of the Philippines, except its campus in Diliman, and Ateneo de Manila University had announced their shift from a June-March school year to August-May calendar.

The UP system will commence the new academic year this coming school year 2014-2015, and Ateneo in 2015-2016.

The University of Santo Tomas (UST) has moved its college opening from June to July beginning next school year.

The De La Salle University (DLSU) and Adamson University have also reported plans to revise their calendars.

CHED allows higher education institutions to change their academic calendars as long as these are in accordance with the law, according to CHED chairperson Patricia Licuanan.

Under Republic Act No. 7797, “the school year shall start on the first Monday of June but not later than the last day of August.”

Licuanan expressed apprehensions on the implications of revising the academic cycle on the educational system as well as on the scheduling of various licensure examinations.

She cited as an example the school year of high school students, which ends in March. With the new academic calendar for colleges and universities starting in August, this would mean high school graduates would have a gap of four months before they could enter tertiary school.

Education Secretary Armin Luistro last week said elementary and high schools will still follow the June-March academic calendar this coming school year 2014-2015.

UP vice president for public affairs Prospero de Vera earlier said the economic integration of the Southeast Asian region in 2015 is one of the main factors that contributed to the decision of UP to change its academic calendar.

Most members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) University Network – as well as China, Japan, Korea, European Union, and the United States – start their classes in August, September or October.

The Philippines is the only country with universities in the network that start their academic year in June.