‘Focus on improving school facilities, not on opening of classes’

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines - — The government and education department should focus on improving school facilities, instead of moving the opening of classes from June to September, Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr.  said.

Marañon said he is against the moving of vacation time for students, which is in summer, or April and May, to meet the September opening.

It is not a good idea, he said.

Instead of having summer months with good weather, vacation time for students will be in the typhoon months, he said.

This could affect the country’s tourism industry, he said.

Just because other countries start classes in September does not mean we should follow them, he added.

Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said Malacañang is open to studying proposals to move the start of classes in college from June to September, as part of the country’s preparations for the ASEAN integration in 2015.

The Philippines is the only country in the ASEAN that follows a June-to-March academic calendar.

The House of Representatives said it will carefully study proposals to change the country’s school calendar.