Senate to examine DepEd’s trimester plan, Sen. Aquino urges

Senator Bam Aquino has urged the Senate of the Philippines to hold hearings on the Department of Education’s (DepEd) proposed trimester school calendar.

Concerns arise as plans could disrupt public school schedules and increase teachers’ administrative workload, as DepEd said implementation of a trimester system may start immediately after this school year.

The 201-day academic year will be divided into three terms instead of the current two-semester system.

The first term shall be held from June to September, followed by the second term from September to December, and the final term from January to March.

The change was proposed for longer and continuous periods of learning, a more appropriate pacing of study, and a lower administrative burden for our teachers.

“Before the DepEd implements the trimestral system, it is important that it be subjected to broad consultation,” Senator Aquino said.

DepEd officials clarified the plan is still under study, and no final decision has been made.

Malacañang expressed that any major shift in the school calendar should be carefully reviewed before implementation.

Policy guidelines regarding the trimester calendar will be released in the coming days.