MANILA — The Department of Education (DepEd) said Monday that it will abide by the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on the reversion to the old school calendar next year, following his concerns that the hot weather is affecting the learning of students.

How exactly will this change the succeeding school opening and closing dates?

The DepEd said the current school year 2023-2024 will still end on May 31, 2024.

The opening of classes for the next academic year will be on July 29, 2024.

As for the school break, DepEd said there are four proposals they have submitted to the President for the immediate reversion to the old school calendar.

Three include two-year gradual shift to the June-March calendar, with different suggestions for the start and end of the school years.

The fourth proposal recommends a "more aggressive approach" wherein classes are slated to end on March of 2025 so that classes may begin in June by School Year 2025-2026.

This proposal, however, will shorten the class calendar by a few weeks, from 180 days to roughly 165.

"Handa naman tayo mag-present sa kaniya ng mga options  para informed ang decisions natin and whatever decision that the president makes on the matter, or whatever the decision that the president has on the matter, iimplement natin sa DepEd of course," DepEd Usec. Michael Poa told reporters.

The Teachers' Dignity Coalition (TDC) lauds the President's directive, being one of the teachers groups that have been advocating for the immediate return to the old calendar.

"We suggest na talagang magfocus nalang talaga sa academics at magfocus sa maximization ng face-to-face classes by next year  at huwag muna tayo magentertain ng iba na mga bagay na makabawas doon sa teaching and learning process natin," TDC's National Chairperson Benjo Basas said.

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), meanwhile urged Marcos to go beyond the calendar adjustment and address other school issues.

“Addressing the dire learning environment should not end in an administrative act of changing the school calendar but should continue with more substantive steps of hiring more teachers and building more classrooms to reduce the class size, and ensuring proper ventilation in all learning spaces. More strategically, the government must comprehensively address the worsening climate crisis, largely brought about by corporate destruction of the environment, that adversely affects not only the education sector but the whole socio-economic life of our people,” Vladimer Quetua, ACT Chairperson said in a statement.

The National Parents-Teachers Association Philippines, for their part, proposes to lessen the other school activities next school year.

"Iyong catch up fridays gawin nalang sana na regular classes iyon, kung gagawin iyon na regular classes mawawalan tayo ng backlog. Mag-sepcial class sila sa saturday, bawiin nalang ng Saturday  i-adjust nila," NPTA's Executive Vice President Lito Senieto told ABS-CBN News.

While they are not required to strictly follow the DepEd's schedule of classes, Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA) says they are ready to make adjustments as well.

"Not just for the schools but also for the parents and students is baka masyadong short notice iyong decision to adjust our school year but i think if mayroong advance  or as early as now mayroong tayong clear directive on that then I think our parents ands students will have sufficient time  to make the necessary adjustments on their part," COCOPEA's legal counsel Atty. Kristine Carmina Manaog said.