MANILA, Philippines – Senate President Vicente Sotto III wants classes in both public and private schools to adjust their opening of the 2020-2021 school year and move it to September this year to "ensure the welfare of students nationwide."
Republic Act 7977, or the Act to lengthen the school calendar from 200 days to not more than 220 days, mandates the opening of school classes every year on the first Monday of June and not later than the last day of August.
Department of Education Leonor Briones on Tuesday announced that classes for next school year will open on August 24 based on consultations and the majority's preference.
READ: Opening of classes for SY 2020-2021 is on August 24 – DepEd
Noting that the June opening is just a month away, Sotto said there is a need to delay this year's school opening because of the continued threat of the coronavirus (COVID-19) to the country.
Sotto, in his proposed Senate Bill No. 1438, said it is important to "give the Department of Education (DepEd) more time and opportunity to prepare and adopt measures for the new normal of the education system."
SBN 1438, Sotto added, will amend RA 7977 and serve as the enabling law for the execution of the April 24 recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the management of Emerging and Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to move the class opening to September.
"The approved recommendation of the IATF-EID runs counter to the law... To remedy the situation created by COVID-19 and consequently allow the execution of the IATF-EID recommendation, this measure is being proposed," Sotto said.
Classes in all levels and all activities in both public and private learning institutions nationwide have been suspended since March 10 after President Duterte declared a national health emergency because of the outbreak of COVID-19.
— The Summit Express
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| Senate President Vicente Sotto III. Photo Credit: Facebook/Vicente Tito Sotto |
Republic Act 7977, or the Act to lengthen the school calendar from 200 days to not more than 220 days, mandates the opening of school classes every year on the first Monday of June and not later than the last day of August.
Department of Education Leonor Briones on Tuesday announced that classes for next school year will open on August 24 based on consultations and the majority's preference.
READ: Opening of classes for SY 2020-2021 is on August 24 – DepEd
Noting that the June opening is just a month away, Sotto said there is a need to delay this year's school opening because of the continued threat of the coronavirus (COVID-19) to the country.
Sotto, in his proposed Senate Bill No. 1438, said it is important to "give the Department of Education (DepEd) more time and opportunity to prepare and adopt measures for the new normal of the education system."
SBN 1438, Sotto added, will amend RA 7977 and serve as the enabling law for the execution of the April 24 recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the management of Emerging and Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to move the class opening to September.
"The approved recommendation of the IATF-EID runs counter to the law... To remedy the situation created by COVID-19 and consequently allow the execution of the IATF-EID recommendation, this measure is being proposed," Sotto said.
Classes in all levels and all activities in both public and private learning institutions nationwide have been suspended since March 10 after President Duterte declared a national health emergency because of the outbreak of COVID-19.
— The Summit Express
