DepEd told: Not too late to suspend trimester

MANILA, Philippines —  It is “not too late” to defer the new academic setup, the Teachers’ Dignity Coalition told the Department of Education (DepEd), asking it to suspend the rollout of the three-term school calendar ahead of the June 8 opening of classes.

In an interview with radio dzBB, TDC chairman Benjo Basas stressed yesterday that teachers and school heads still have unanswered questions regarding the new academic setup and the full rollout of the revised senior high school curriculum.

“We still push for the suspension in the implementation of this program. At least, let’s pilot first. There’s nothing wrong with that,” Basas said.

Under the three-term school calendar, the first term will run from June to September, the second from September to December and the third from January to March.

“This is a big change in our school system. We need a substantial pilot implementation, instead of abrupt implementation,” he added.

The TDC official pointed out that schools are also preparing for several other reforms at the same time, including changes in grading systems and the recognition of honors.

Basas also raised concerns over the lack of teaching materials and clear guidelines, particularly for subjects like MAPEH, which covers Music, Arts, Physical Education and Health.

Concerns over implementation were also raised by the Second Congressional Commission on Education, which asked DepEd to address delays in hiring tutors for the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning summer program.

The ARAL program, which started on May 6 and will end on June 2, aims to help learners recover from learning gaps through remediation sessions.

Meanwhile, as schools prepare for the opening of classes, the government is ramping up preparations for Brigada Eskwela through the Department of Labor and Employment’s TUPAD program. –  Helen Flores