Marcos: Climate change should be a factor in considering return to old academic calendar

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Monday emphasized the need to include climate change in determining whether the schedule of the opening and closing of classes will be reverted to during the pre-COVID-19 pandemic period.

Asked during an ambush interview in Manila if he supports the call for the implementation of the old academic calendar, Marcos said the Department of Education (DepEd) has been studying the matter.

"Pinag-uusapan nga namin, we were talking with the teaching staff here, tinatanong ko sa kanila ano 'yung preference nila kaya't pinagaaralan natin. The DepEd is in the process, sila sa kasalukuyan ay mayroon silang ginagawang study kung ano ba talaga ang pinakamaganda," Marcos said.

(We were talking about it, we were talking with the teaching staff here. I asked them what's their preference so we are studying it. The DepEd is conducting a study on what's the best option. That's a big question.)

"Hindi ganoon kasimple 'yan kasi 'yung pinalitan natin 'yung schedule dahil may pandemic, ngayon naman climate change ang kailangan nating pag-usapan dahil sa schedule ngayon, napaka-init. Pati 'yung mga bata hinihimatay na kaya kailangan natin isama sa pag-aaral 'yan kung ano ang kailangan natin gawin," he added.

(It's not that simple, we changed the schedule before because of the pandemic. Right now, we need to talk about climate change because of the high temperature. Even the children are affected, that's why we need to study about this.)

Marcos said the welfare of students, teachers, and non-teaching personnel of schools must be considered in the decision-making.

The President inspected some classrooms in Victorino Mapa High School in Manila amid the Brigada Eskwela 2023.

Marcos was briefed on the maintenance works being done in the said school in preparation for the opening of public schools on August 29. —KBK, GMA Integrated News