President Marcos gave his go signal on the return to the traditional academic calendar, starting the upcoming 2024-2025 school year on July 29.
In a sectoral meeting in Malacañang on Tuesday, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte presented two options to President Marcos for adjusting the academic calendar.
The first option included 180 school days with 15 in-person Saturday classes, while the second offered 165 school days with no Saturday classes, both ending on March 31, 2025.
President Marcos, however, rejected the 165-day school year and an alternative that included Saturday classes, citing concerns over reduced instructional time and student well-being.
To ensure 180 school days without using Saturdays, the school year will end on April 15, 2025. According to the President, this adjustment balances sufficient learning days with maintaining student welfare.
“Let’s just extend the school days. Make it longer, just add more school days, but let’s not touch Saturday. So, (the) school [days] will remain the same. Just standard,” President Marcos said during the meeting.
Consultations with teachers, school officials, and parents were conducted regarding the new schedule. The shift to a June-to-March calendar will continue in the following years.