Survey says 8 out of 10 Filipinos want summer breaks back to April and May — Gatchalian

Eight out of 10 Filipinos want to bring back the students’ April and May summer break, a Pulse Asia survey revealed.

The survey, commissioned by Senator Win Gatchalian and conducted from June 19-23, 2023, asked respondents whether they agree or disagree with bringing back the students’ April and May summer break.

Results of the survey revealed that 80% of respondents nationwide agree, 11% cannot say if they agree or disagree, and only 8% said they disagree.

Overwhelming majorities of respondents in the National Capital Region (NCR) (81%), Luzon (73%), Visayas (90%), and Mindanao (86%) agree with the proposal to bring back to April and May the summer breaks of students.

Across socioeconomic groups, agreement to bring back summer breaks to April and May is consistently strong among classes ABC (83%), D (81%), and E (75%).

Gatchalian meanwhile seeks a re-evaluation as to whether the school year should be conducted during the summer or revert to the old school calendar.

He filed Proposed Senate Resolution No. 672 seeking a Senate inquiry to re-evaluate the critical factors in determining the school opening.

The inquiry will identify policy interventions for the effective intervention of Republic Act No. 11480, which serves as the basis for the school calendar.

“The voice of our citizens is clear that they want to bring back the students’ vacation in the months of April and May. Although it will not be easy to bring back the old school calendar, we will hold a hearing to thoroughly study the steps to promote the welfare of our teachers and students,” said Gatchalian, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education.

Republic Act No. 11480, which was signed on July 17, 2020, amended Section 3 of Republic No. 7797, which provides that the school year shall start on the first Monday of June but not later than the last day of August. Republic Act No. 7797 also lengthened the school calendar from 200 days to no more than 220 days.

Under Republic Act No.11480, the President, upon the recommendation of the Secretary of Education, may set a different date for the start of the school year in parts of or throughout the whole country in the event of a declaration of a state of emergency or state of calamity.

The enactment of Republic Act No. 11480 allowed the Department of Education (DepEd) to move the opening of School Year 2020-2021 to October 5, 2020. (ai/mnm)