SCHOOL Year 2021-2022 will have the shortest school calendar, Eleazardo Kasilag, president of the Federation of Associations of Private Schools Administrators (FAPSA), said.

“Now that public schools have opened, this reality about the school calendar is something that shall surprise everyone. Probably students shall find this ameliorating but their parents may frown upon this discovery,” Kasilag said.

He explained that numerous holidays drastically reduced the number of school days, which is in conflict with Republic Act 11480 that amends Republic Act 7797 or the “Act to Lengthen the School Calendar from 200 Days to Not More Than Two 220 Class Days.”

“It is the complete opposite because this school year is the shortest calendar ever implemented. There are minimum of 38 days of legal and church holidays. From September 13 opening day to June 24 graduation day,” Kasilag said.

“And, of course, you need to consider school Foundation Day, Retreats, JS prom, field trips and also, typhoon class suspension, etc. If you consider the non-class days activities of schools, the accumulated off-days may go for two long months,” he added.

“This defeats the intent of Republic Act 11480. It is not about increasing the days but decreasing it,” he said.

Kasilag said schools can hold classes on Saturdays but many students do not attend weekend classes.

“In my life, I have not experienced complete class attendance on Saturdays unless it is for educational field trip or JS Prom or Graduation Day. Saturday classes accounts for 15 to 30 percent absence of students which render them ineffective and unproductive,” the official said.