FACT CHECK: DepEd flip-flops on return to old school calendar

The Department of Education (DepEd) has backtracked on its stand in April that public schools cannot immediately revert to the old academic calendar. A recent memorandum adjusted the end of the 2024-2025 school calendar to end on April 15, 2025 instead of May 16 of the same year.

STATEMENT

One day before resigning as Education secretary, Vice President Sara Duterte signed Department Order No. 008, series of 2024 adjusting the calendar for SY 2024-2025 to begin on July 29, 2024 and end on April 15, 2025. The order said in part:

“…DepEd, with the guidance of the Office of the President, recognizes the urgency of reverting the school calendar to the pre-pandemic opening of classes.”

Source: Department of Education, DEPED ORDER NO. 008: AMENDMENT TO DEPED ORDER NO. 003, S. 2024, June 18, 2024

The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) earlier reported:

“In response to public concerns on the schedule of classes, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday [May 21] approved to start reverting the country’s school calendar to the traditional arrangement.

Thus, the opening of classes for school year 2024-2025 will begin on July 29 this year and end on April 15, 2025.”

Source: Presidential Communications Office official website, PBBM approves July 29 opening of SY 2024-2025; classes to end April 15 next year, May 22, 2024

FACT

DepEd Order No. 008 is a shift from Duterte’s statement when interviewed by reporters on April 8, and she said:

“Hindi natin pwedeng idire-diretso ang mga klase dahil kailangan ng pahinga hindi lang ng teacher kundi ng mga mag-aaral.”

(We cannot immediately hold classes because not only the teacher but also the students need a break.)

Source: ANC 24/7, VP Duterte: Return to old school calendar can’t be rushed | ANC, April 9, 2024, watch from 1:33 to 1:43

In a Feb. 15 DepEd Order No. 003, Duterte set the 2024-2025 school calendar from July 29, 2024 to May 16, 2025. The department earlier planned a “gradual” return to the pre-pandemic school calendar until 2028 when opening of classes would be in June to end in March.

However, Marcos instructed the DepEd on April 10 to speed up the reversion to the June to March academic year.

In the May 22 news release, the PCO said:

“…the opening of classes for school year 2024-2025 will begin on July 29 this year and end on April 15, 2025. This will start the gradual return of the school year to June of every year until end of March the next year.”

Editor’s note: This fact check was produced with the help of a journalism student of the University of the Philippines Los Baños as part of their internship at VERA Files.