Marcos hopes old school calendar back by next year

PRESIDENT FERDINAND R. Marcos Jr. on Monday said he is hoping to have the old school calendar back by “next year.”

In an ambush interview in Pasay City, Marcos was asked about the Department of Education’s (DepEd) proposal to revert back to the June-March school calendar.

The President, citing the cancellation of classes due to extreme heat brought by El Niño, said the shift to the old school calendar was really needed.

“Of course, hiningi ko ‘yan sa DepEd (I asked DepEd for that) and I asked (Vice President and Education Secretary) Inday Sara (Duterte) to give me already a concerted plan because mukha naman hindi na tayo kailangan maghintay pa at mukha namang kailangan na (it looks like we don't have to wait anymore and it looks like it's necessary) and I don’t see any objections really from anyone especially with the El Niño,” Marcos told reporters.

“So, talagang kailangan na kailangan na (So, it's really necessary). So yes, that’s part of the plan that were trying to do, to bring it back already to the old schedule. I think it would be better for the kids,” he said.

Pressed when he intends to implement the shift, the President said: “Hopefully by next year, yes, matatapos na (this will end).”

Heeding the public’s clamor for an immediate return to the old school calendar due to extreme heat, the DepEd has suggested to Marcos to end the coming school year 2024-2025 in March 2025 and start the succeeding school year by June. (Darryl John Esguerra)