ACT proposes 185 class days yearly for return of summer school break

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) has suggested the adoption of 185 class days annually so that the school break would gradually revert to April and May after five years.

In a statement on Monday, ACT said this would allow every school year to finish two to three weeks earlier than the usual schedule and will eventually bring back the summer school break.

“The April-May school break is what suits our country best as the hottest months of the year are not conducive to learning, especially with our inadequate, cramped and non-airconditioned classrooms. These are also the peak months for agricultural harvest, which we know that majority of our learners in the rural areas participate in,” said ACT chairperson Vladimer Quetua.

“We cannot afford to stick to the current schedule that we have right now as it is affecting the health and welfare of our teachers and learners, consequently impacting negatively as well to learning outcomes,” he added.

The proposal was based on the policy of the Department of Education (DepEd) on the 180 days of non-negotiable contact time between teachers and learners, and five days of teachers’ in-service training (INSET) and learners’ school break in the middle of the school year, according to the group.

DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa earlier stressed that the agency has no plan to move back to April and May the summer vacation of students despite the hot weather.

He, however, said the DepEd “will take note of the suggestions and study the matter,” after more views about shifting back to summer school break were raised.

“As mentioned before, the calls for reversion to April- May break is being studied po,” Poa told GMA News Online on Tuesday when asked for a comment regarding ACT’s proposal.

Last week, the Department of Health (DOH) officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said there were 118 incident reports on heat exhaustion recorded amid the warm and dry season.

Of these reports, 85 were cases of students from Gulod National High School-Mamatid Extension in Cabuyao, Laguna logged on March 23. Meanwhile, 33 individuals from four high schools in Valenzuela also suffered the same, which were recorded on March 9.  —VAL, GMA Integrated News