THE DEPARTMENT of Education promised to be immediately apprised once the Office of the President decides on their proposal to revert public schools to the old academic calendar.

During the House Committee on Basic Education and Culture hearing, Dr. Leila Areola, Director IV of the DepEd Bureau of Learning Delivery, said that they are working on the gradual shift of the school calendar to the pre-pandemic school calendar.

“From the original five-year period for the gradual shift, and due to the recent clamor also, we have to speed up (the shift). We tried to look for options, and as of now, it’s down to two years. We have submitted options to the Office of the President and should we have their statement already, we will discuss it with the OP, then the DepEd will apprise this committee,” Areola said.

The panel, headed by Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo had an oversight hearing Monday to discuss several issues, including the proposed timetable for the opening of classes for the School Year 2024-2025 and beyond, as well as the challenges on the implementation of the school calendar.

Romulo said that during the committee’s last hearing on the matter, many House members did not agree on the five-year plan for the shift.

“Ang gusto talaga ng lahat bumalik na sa old calendar sa dami nating naririnig na problema dala ng kainitan ng panahon,” he said.

A readoption of the old school calendar would mean that vacation of students would again be during the summer months of April and May, he said.

“Alam ng lahat face-to-face classes ang pinaka-importante, ayaw po natin ng online, ayaw natin ng asynchronous or whatever, gusto natin, doon tayo sa face-to- face makabalik,” Romulo said.

Romulo said the DepEd will submit to the panel a report once it gets word from Malacañang on the matter.

“The direction now is to revert to the old academic calendar within two years, starting year one, which is now,” he said.