DepEd supports 4-day school week to ease heavy traffic

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Education (DepEd) supports the suggestion of the Metropolitan Manila Development Agency (MMDA) to implement a four-day school week schedule to cope with the heavy traffic expected from the construction of the six-lane Metro Manila Skyway System and other road infrastructures.

"Definitely, adjustments must be made to ease the school calendar problem because the construction of 15 major road networks will take more than two years to finish and the kids will surely suffer if they spend so much time on the streets waiting for transportation. We have already discussed with school superintendents and principals regarding MMDA‘s traffic rerouting which has to be well laid out first," DepEd Assistant Secretary Tonesito Umali said.

The Skyway project, due to start on Monday night, will cover the 14.8-kilometer route from Alabang to Balintawak. Umali said 2 million students will be affected.

"The question now is which mode or alternative would be approved to be used. Will 20 Saturday makeup classes be used to complete the 200- school days in a year? Or are we going to give alternative module or assignments to students? Are we going to extend classes by one or two hours especially for those in a two-shift schedule? Identification of the scheme to be used is a priority since it could be put to work next year or even this coming June should the traffic problem worsens,” he said.

Umali said a thorough study of the proposal must be made as not all schools are going to be affected by the project.

"Some are located a little far from national roads and highways so they may not want to be disturbed. Many of them are privately maintained but I am sure, once DepEd issues the order, they will respond,” he said.