DepEd: School year 2023-2024 ends on May 31

The Department of Education (DepEd) set the end of the school year 2023-2024 earlier than scheduled to gradually shift back to the old school calendar with April-May as the summer vacation.

Based on Department Order 003 dated February 19, 2024, and signed by Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte, the EOSY is now slated for May 31, 2024.

Meanwhile, the SY 2024-2025 is set to start on July 29, 2024 and end on May 16, 2025.

This means that the school break for this year will be on June 1 to July 28, including the weekends. DepEd previously set the break from June 17 to August 25, 2024. 

In an ambush interview, DepEd spokesperson Undersecretary Michael Poa explained that this adjustment will pave the way for the “slow” return of the pre-pandemic school calendar. 

“Paano kung mas bibilisan natin ‘yung pag-shift? But mako-compromise kasi ‘yung school days ng ating mga learners at mahihirapan din ‘yung ating mga teachers na maituro lahat ng competencies. So as you can see, magiging gradual ‘yung shift ng ating school calendar — back to the usual April-May break,” he said. 

(The school days of our learners will be compromised if we fast track the shifting and it will be difficult for our teachers to teach all the competencies. So as you can see, the shift of our school calendar back to the usual April-May break will be gradual.)

Poa said that the number of lessened school days was not that significant because there will still be 179 school days for the current academic year.

Based on DepEd’s projections, he said that the April school break may begin starting the end SY 2026-2027.

“Ang tinitignan natin around 2026-2027, early April na, April 2 ‘yung last day ng class. So medyo nandoon na tayo. But if you want to go to March, I think it will be more on SY 2027-2028,” he added.

(We are looking at around 2026-2027, by April 2, as the last day of class. So we're pretty much there. If you want to go back to March, I think it will be more on SY 2027-2028.)

Poa earlier said that it would take at least three years before the school break returns to April-May.=

With the adjustment of the current school year, the third quarter examination was moved to March 25-26, while that of the fourth quarter will be on May 16-17.

DO 003 also emphasized that non-voluntary or mandatory tasks or activities must be given to teachers amid the break, from June 1-30.

“Kahit na we are already making adjustments to shift back, we ensure na nandoon pa rin ‘yung 30 days from June 1 to June 30. Hindi po pwedeng magibigay ng volunatry or mandatory activities or tasks sa ating mga teachers para makapagpahinga sila and we made that clear,” Poa said.

(Even though we are already making adjustments to shift back, we ensure that the 30 days of break are still there from June 1-30. We cannot give voluntary or mandatory activities or tasks to our teachers during this time so they can rest.)—DVM/RF, GMA Integrated News