The Alliance of Concerned Teachers Philippines and ACT NCR Union have thrown their support ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro in filing a bill to mandate the return of the June-March school calendar amid teachers, parents and students’ outcry after enduring the grueling heat in the first in-classroom classes during the dry season this school year 2022-2023.
Under the bill, the school year would start on the first Monday of June but not later than the last of August with particular provision on opening school year 2024-2025 in June to ensure urgent return to the pre-pandemic calendar upon its passage.
The bill also stipulated mandates for an “early” close of school year 2023-2024 on the fourth week of May 2024 and the grant of service credits as well as the guarantee of teachers’ remuneration for service rendered during their vacation.
“We call upon our legislators to give high priority to this bill and recognize the urgent need to revert to the pre-pandemic school calendar that is more suitable and beneficial to education given the detrimental impacts of summer classes to education quality and health of learners and teachers. We also urge them to initiate discussion and seriously tackle issues on teachers’ vacation and compensation for all our services as these are integral to our labor rights,” ACT chairperson Vladimir Quetua said.