Groups slam ‘rushed’ DepEd trimester calendar, demand suspension

Teachers’ groups and education stakeholders have intensified calls for the Department of Education (DepEd) to suspend the nationwide implementation of the newly approved three-term school calendar for School Year 2026–2027, warning that the reform was rushed and may further burden educators already grappling with longstanding systemic problems.

The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) are urging DepEd to halt the implementation ahead of the June 8 opening of classes, arguing that schools, teachers, and instructional materials are entirely unprepared for the massive shift.

The backlash follows the official approval of the trimester plan by the Economy and Development (ED) Council during its eighth meeting chaired by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr..

While the government defends the policy as a vital step to improve education outcomes and curb lost instructional time, educators warn that the lack of preparation will force those on the ground to improvise and bear the burden of a failing system.

Core Disagreements from Educators
Teachers’ groups have criticized both the hasty approval process and the practical challenges of transitioning from a four-quarter system to a trimestral setup.

TDC National Chairperson Benjo G. Basas stressed that it is “not too late” to defer the setup, as they push for a substantial pilot implementation in at least one region to calibrate school forms and materials before a nationwide rollout.

“We still push for the suspension in the implementation of this program…this is a big change in our school system. We need a substantial pilot implementation, instead of abrupt implementation,” Basas said in an interview with dzBB.

Basas also highlighted that teachers and school heads still have unanswered questions regarding the full rollout of the revised senior high school curriculum, alongside simultaneous changes to grading systems and honors recognition.

He emphasized that there is an acute lack of teaching guidelines and materials, particularly for subjects like Music, Arts, Physical Education, and Health (MAPEH).

Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Chairperson Ruby Bernardo previously slammed the decision in March 2026, noting that despite earlier pronouncements from DepEd that the system would undergo consultations, it was approved hastily without participation from educators.

“It will surely fail, and those of us in the schools will be left to improvise and make up for all the shortcomings. And when it fails, we will be the ones to be blamed again,” Bernardo said in March 2026.

Bernardo further questioned the government’s claims of improved learning outcomes, pointing out the absence of open studies or transparent evaluations backing the calendar shift.

“These kinds of rushed policies are just like the K to 12 system, which will soon face its doom while us educators in schools will have to find our own ways just to fill in the gaps caused by these decisions,” she added.

The Government’s Defense

In contrast to the teachers’ concerns, DepEd and the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) frame the three-term calendar as a data-driven solution to chronic academic disruptions.

According to DEPDev Secretary and ED Council Vice-Chair Arsenio M. Balisacan, the policy provides “evidence-based solutions to bridge educational gaps” and aims to build a globally competitive workforce.

“By shifting from a four-grading-period system to a three-grading-period system, students will benefit from longer, uninterrupted instructional blocks, stabilizing their learning pace and recovery each term,” DEPDev added in a statement.

The government maintains that shifting to a three-grading-period system stabilizes the learning pace by providing students with longer, uninterrupted instructional blocks.

DepEd also refuted allegations that the decision was made behind closed doors, asserting that the reform stemmed from a “rigorous, multi-stage consultation process” that began in January 2026 and involved learners, teachers, parents, school leaders, the House of Representatives, and the Senate.

The primary driver for this overhaul is severe instructional time loss as data from the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) and the Philippine Institute for Development Studies revealed that public schools lost a staggering 53 teaching days during SY 2023–2024.

These losses were driven by natural calamities, holidays, celebrations, observances, and non-teaching tasks assigned to teachers.

By compressing the academic calendar into three extended terms, the government hopes to mitigate future disruptions caused by climate events and scheduling conflicts.

The New Trimester Structure

In contrast to the teachers’ concerns, DepEd and the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) frame the three-term calendar as a data-driven solution to chronic academic disruptions.
Under the approved SY 2026–2027 calendar, the traditional school year is re-structured into three distinct terms, running from June to September, September to December, and January to March.

Each individual term is broken down into three specific functional blocks.

The opening block will occupy the first week of classes in the first term, focusing heavily on orientations and student assessments.

The instructional block will span 54 to 61 days per term, dedicated entirely to quality teaching and learning time, while the enrichment block will be a two-week period at the end of each term allocated for remediation, enrichment, grade computation, checking, school form preparation, and a wellness break.