DepEd boosts nationwide orientation on education system reforms

In preparation for the implementation of new education policies, the Department of Education (DepEd) held a series of orientations for teachers and school heads across public schools nationwide prior to the beginning of the school year 2026–2027.

DepEd started the orientation earlier this month through regional and division planning conferences, and proceeded with cluster-based orientations for school heads towards the last week of April for a more contextualized approach on the implementation.

The department also set additional orientation sessions scheduled on May 2 to 15 to cater to all teachers and school heads nationwide through face-to-face, online, or by the self-learning modalities.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara said that the orientation delved into understanding the groundwork behind the reforms, its purpose, and how it will be enacted across regions in the next couple of months

“Hindi puwedeng papel lang ang pagbabago. Kailangan ramdam ito sa bawat classroom. We are making sure our school heads and teachers understand not just the what, but the why and the how,” he said.

DepEd also tackled in its series of orientations the reorganization of the academic protocols including the three-term school calendar, focus baseline assessment, school diagnostics, and pre-opening initiatives for an improved preparatory phase before the formal teaching-learning phase starts.

The orientation also ordered the reduction of administrative workload for teachers amid continued calls supporting the policy.

They also aim to amend the guidelines on classroom assessment and grading, lesson planning, and flexible learning programs; update protocols in learning continuity; and strengthen Senior High School curriculum and work immersion. 

DepEd’s reforms were rooted in the recent report of the Second Congressional Commission on Education in January which revealed an education crisis due to the decrease of student proficiency rates, promotion of struggling learners to higher levels despite not passing, and increase of teaching workload, among others.