UST shifts school calendar for 2014-2015, to start in July MANILA, PhilippinesUniversity of Santo Tomas students will expect

a longer summer vacation this year as the university moves the start of its classes to July. This was after Reverend Father Winston Cabading O.P., UST secretary general, officially approved the collegiate calendar for academic year 2014-2015 as preparation for the integration of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in year 2015. From the previous June to March academic calendar, the UST school calendar will start July 7 with a traditional mass of the Holy Spirit or Misa de Apertura. The anticipated ceremony for incoming UST students, the Thomasian Freshman Walk, will be held on July 11 followed by the official start of regular classes on July 14. In a report by USTs official publication, the Varsitarian, it said the traditional Paskuhan festivities will be celebrated earlier than December 8. It added that Paskuhan would fall within the semestral break, coinciding with the feast of Immaculate Conception. From the December semestral break, students will return on Jan. 5, 2015 for the second semester. Unlike the usual March schedule for baccalaureate mass, the eucharistic celebration for graduating Thomasians will be held on May 15 next year. After almost two weeks, solemn investitures will then be moved to May 26, 2015. The University of the Philippines system (except Diliman campus) and Ateneo de Manila University previously announced their academic calendar shift starting August to June 2015. UP,AteneoclassestostartinAugust

Two of the countrys top schoolsthe University of the Philippines (left) and Ateneo de Manila Universityannounced on Thursday a change in the academic calendar, shifting the opening of classes from June to August. MANILA, PhilippinesTwo of the countrys top schoolsthe University of the Philippines (UP) and Ateneo de Manila Universityannounced on Thursday a change in the academic calendar, shifting the opening of classes from June to August. Classes at UP in Manila, Los Baos, Baguio, Cebu, the Visayas and Mindanao, and UP Open University will start in August and end in May, but UP Diliman, which has not completed consultations, and UP Integrated School will still follow the old schedule. The first semester will run from August to December, the second semester from January to May, and a short term from June to July. Ateneo will start the new schedule in academic year 2015-2016 in the Loyola Schools and the Professional Schools. Ateneo Grade School and High School will retain the June to March academic calendar. Response to globalization The UP and Ateneo school systems said they would adopt the August to May academic calendar as a response to an increasingly globalized world. The decision to shift the academic calendar is part of the continuing efforts of UP to develop into a regional and global university, and to maximize the opportunities offered by Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) integration and global educational partnerships, UP president Alfredo Pascual said in a statement. The shift to the new school calendar for the next academic year was approved by the UP Board of Regents in a meeting on Thursday, according to the Philippine Collegian, UP Dilimans official student publication. Of the units in the UP system, only UP Diliman will retain the present academic calendar of June to March due to opposition by some sectors [there], the Collegian said. Diliman consultation

A consultation for UP Diliman students on the proposed calendar shift is scheduled for Feb. 10. Student regent Krista Melgarejo, who attended the Board of Regents meeting, said UP Diliman would thresh out issues raised by some sectors, including the University Council, on the proposed change. Melgarejo said the proposed change would be subject to a referendum on the Diliman campus. She opposed the change in the academic calendar, saying the majority of UP students was not consulted. The student regent said changing the academic calendar was just a way of jumping on the bandwagon of the skewed logic of internationalization. In a statement posted on its Facebook page, Ateneo said the Board of Trustees approved the shift for the Loyola Schools and the Professional Schools in a meeting on Feb. 5. The new calendar will take effect in school year 2015-2016, it said, after an internal study and intensive consultations over the last eight months with stakeholders, including faculty members, administrators, students and parents. Partners overseas Ateneo said the implementation of the new calendar would align its schedule with that of more than 80 percent of its current university partners overseas and with that of more than 70 percent of all universities around the world. This would facilitate the mobility to and fro of students and faculty members, and facilitate collaborative academic programs and research, said the Jesuit-run university. Ateneo needs to ensure that our graduates develop a global outlook and global competencies so that they can navigate a more complex, interconnected world and contribute toward resolving global concerns, Ateneo president Jose Ramon T. Villarin said in the statement. For the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd), the two autonomous universities were within their rights to make the change. If theyre (UP and Ateneo) really prepared to [push through with this], then go ahead, CHEd Executive Director Jules Vitriolo said over the phone. He made the statement although a technical working group (TWG) was still studying the implications of a proposed shift in academic calendars. The TWG was supposed to submit its report in March. According to Vitriolo, UP and Ateneo could exercise discretion without waiting for the report since their decision to change academic calendars was quite justified. He said both world-ranking institutions would benefit from the shift in the form of more synchronized links with international universities. Maybe only a selected few [can exercise discretion to change their academic calendars], he said, adding that these institutions should be deserving and with consistently high standards. Vitriolo said the report would look into the implications of a change in academic calendars on a wider scale. But even before the release of the report, Vitriolo was quick to add that the CHEd did not encourage a wider scale change in academic calendars. Years of preparation This changing of academic calendars requires years of [preparation]. Not just anyone can change the calendar. It will do more harm [if this is the case], he said, adding that the Department of Education would not adjust its schedule. According to Vitriolo, there may also be implications for UP and Ateneo now that they have approved the change in academic calendars. PRC exams There may be an overlapping of the schedule of some Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) board exams with the new school months, he said. Villarin acknowledged that this was true, particularly with the law, medicine and electronics engineering licensure exams. He said, however, that Ateneo was dedicating one-and-a-half years to work through these concerns thoroughly and systematically. We are confident that we will be ready by 2015, Villarin said.

Vitriolo said UP and Ateneo may have to request the PRC for a special exam to deal with this problem. Its either this or the examinees will have to wait longer, he said. He added, however, that this was not a major complication. Asked whether there would be an effect on the number of local enrollees who become tired of waiting for a long time before the opening of classes, Vitriolo said, I dont think so. He said many students would like to get into UP and Ateneo, and would be willing to wait for months. He acknowledged, however, that there may be an increase in the number of foreign students because the two universities schedules are aligned with those of international institutions. DepEd exec cool to planned shift of school opening MANILA, PhilippinesA top official of the Department of Education on Saturday expressed reservations over the proposed shift in the opening of classes from June to September, saying, among others, that the implementation of the K to 12 program has in a way already made the country at par with the calendars of the Association of Southeast Asian nations and those of other non-Asean countries. One of the things being talked about on the school calendar is correspondence. We have already caught up (with those other countries through) K to 12, Education Assistant Secretary Tonisito Umali said in a radio interview. He said that before K to 12, observers would note the lack of years a student in the country would need to invest in studying to finish high school. Movement Under K to 12, he said: (Finishing) high school for example here is equivalent to finishing high school in (those other countries). He added that what a kindergarten student learned here now was equal to what a kindergarten student in those other countries learned. Although he acknowledged that changing the academic calendar in college would facilitate the movement of university students from the Philippines to Asean countries, Umali said he did not see this as a valid point to be raised by those who want to forward the change in the academic calendar in basic education so far. Integration Is that the same issue that we will face once we have Asean integrationthe movement of basic education students to other countries? So far, we dont see that, he said. He noted that in the first place, school calendars in the Asean region are already varied, with only two to three countries starting their basic education classes in August or September. In Malaysia, for example, he said basic education classes start in January or February, Thailand in May, and Indonesia in July. So theyre not almost all the same, he said. -Palace open to moving start of school year to Sept. MANILA, Philippines A Palace official on Sunday said they are open to moving the start of school year to September instead of June. Communications Secretary Herminio Sonny Coloma, Jr. said over state-run dzRB that the proposal was in line with the Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Integration in 2015. Bukas ang pamahalaan sa pag-aaral ng panukalang ilipat ang panahon ng pagbubukas ng klase para sa mga kolehiyo at unibersidad, mula Hunyo patungong Setyembre, bilang paghahanda sa

pag-iisa ng ating mga kasaping bansa sa Asean sa ilalim ng konsepto ng Asean integration simula sa taong 2015, he said. (The government is open to studying proposals to move the start of classes in college from June to September, as part of our preparations for the Asean integration set in 2015.) Coloma explained that the Asean Integration program is aimed at paving the way for Asean mobility, which will allow citizens of member states to freely travel and pursue international studies or other professions. Nevertheless, he said they are relying on Congress to head the study and come up with a law on changing the school calendar. The Philippines is the only country in the Asean that follows a June-to-March academic calendar.

--IllseeyouinSeptember With more schools planning to adjust their academic calendar to that of the rest of the world, the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) is weighing the proposal of the big four universities for a change in the start of the academic year to August or September. But Patricia Licuanan, CHEd chair, said on Friday that the proposal would be carefully studied to determine its impact and implications on the wider education system in the Philippines. We are forming a technical working group and asking them to study the implications and hold consultations on this proposal, Licuanan said in a telephone interview. The University of the Philippines (UP) and Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) were the first to propose the change last year. The University of Santo Tomas (UST) and De La Salle University (DLSU) followed shortly with the same plan. Licuanan, however, said that only UP and Ateneo had notified CHEd of their plans. The big four universities argued that adjusting their academic calendar would prepare them for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Economic Community (AEC) planned for 2015 and align their academic calendars with other major universities in the world. Autonomous schools Licuanan said the four universities were autonomous, a status granted them by CHEd, so they had the freedom to carry out the change, provided they notified the commission first. Most of the countrys more than 2,000 colleges and universities do not have that status and must seek CHEd approval before they can change their academic calendar. I dont think there will be much of a problem if only these four will adjust their academic calendar. But now, it seems other groups of universities and colleges are supporting the idea. As their regulator, we have to step in and study this carefully, Licuanan said. Adamson University, also autonomous, recently announced its plan to change the start of its school year to August, if a shift would be allowed this year, or September if the change would start in 2015. The Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) welcomed the proposal and said many of its members supported the idea. No hurry But the CHEd is in no hurry to put Philippine schools in sync with the rest of the world. In fact, it is just beginning to form the group that will study the big fours proposal. We are only starting now because we did not think this was a big deal, as only the four had [announced that they were changing] their academic calendar. But now it is a big deal because of the bandwagon effect, Licuanan said. The group will submit its study by March, then call for discussions and hold consultations. I dont think its for all institutions, but just for a select few. Licuanan said. There might be some kind of alternative for the rest, something in between a shift in the calendar. Like a quarterly term system, for example, which will allow mobility of students a lot better while still allowing us to be part of the Asean 2015 system without changing the basic education system.

Disruption of system A problem posed by the proposed shift is the disruption of the local education system. If [elementary and high school students] will graduate in March and the opening of classes will be in September, there will be a huge gap and a disruption. And if in the end, not all colleges and universities decide to adopt the new schedule, thats something they have to work out, Licuanan said. It could be a benefit to big universities that can attract more international students, so its a boost to international mobility. But the bulk of students will still come from local high schools, she said. Philippine weather remains a big factor, Licuanan said. We went through this a lot of times before, and the main argument is really the weather. Once the first storm hits us, theres a clamor to move the start of classes. But other months are stormy as well, she said. Not keen The Department of Education (DepEd) is not inclined to change the academic calendar for elementary and high school students. Tonisito Umali, assistant education secretary for legal affairs, said in a separate interview that while the DepEd is carefully studying the proposal, it is not keen on adopting it. Schools have proposed a shift before, citing the weather. But in 2009, a survey we did showed only three of the 16 regionsCentral Luzon, Western Visayas and Western Mindanaowere in favor of the shift, Umali said. So the weather is not enough reason to move the [start of the] school year. Now, theyre putting forward a different reason, the Asean integration. Well see if there are really compelling arguments for their proposal, he said. Umali said the June-to-March calendar was the best option. If you look at other countries, their school year begins in autumn, which comes in August or September. Their vacation starts around June, which coincides with their summer. Here, the vacation period starts in April, which is also summer, he said. Weather Umali said that while rains and storms only affect certain parts of the country at any given time, the heat of summer is felt everywhere at the same time. Not all our classrooms have air-conditioners. And students have always chosen summer as bonding time with their families, which we consider very important. We have many fiestas and holidays during summer. The Holy Week also comes [in summer]. These are the few times to contemplate and to enjoy their families company, he said. There are other factors to consider, he said. We have to look first at the number of international students coming here for basic education. Its quite big for college, but we have to determine it for elementary and high school, he said. Advantages But the CEAP sees advantages in the shift. Joseph Noel Estrada, CEAP legal counsel, said the shift would open up opportunities not just for students to easily transfer to other educational institutions abroad, but also to universities. Because of the difference in the academic calendars, many of our member schools miss many opportunities for collaboration in research and student and faculty exchanges, he said. Many of our member schools support the idea, but they cannot take concrete measures yet because they are regulated by CHEd. Until CHEd gives the go-signal for the shift, we cannot really [have concrete plans] for this, Estrada said. Originally posted: 8:12 pm | Friday, January 3rd, 2014

-In the Know: PH only country with June-March school year

The Philippines is the only member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) that follows a June-to-March academic calendar. Other Asean countries, including Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and, most recently, Thailand, are already following the September-toMay school calendar. In the United States, the school calendar begins between August and September and ends in June. In some European countries, the school year starts in the first week of September. In Nordic countries like Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway and Iceland, it generally starts between mid- to end-August. In Southern European countries like Greece, Portugal and Turkey, the school calendar starts during the second half of September. Other Asian countries like Japan and South Korea have a different school calendar. The academic year in Japan starts in April and ends in March. South Koreas academic year begins in March and ends in February. Like in some European countries and in the United States, Chinas school calendar also starts in September and ends in June. In Australia, the school year begins in January and ends in December. Executive Order No. 292, signed in July 1987 by then President Corazon Aquino, provides that the opening date of the school year for the elementary, secondary and tertiary levels for public and private schools shall not be earlier than the first day of June nor later than the last day of July of each year unless prevented by fortuitous events. This academic calendar was adopted to coincide with the countrys two seasonsrainy (from June to November) and dry (from December to May). Education Secretary Armin Luistro said last month that no decision has been made regarding the proposed shift in academic calendar for basic education. He cited a Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) study showing that typhoons and heavy rains are not frequent occurrences during June and July. Classes in April and May may also not be advisable due to the intense heat, Luistro said Bills that would change the academic calendar have been filed by Rep. Lani Mercado-Revilla in the House of Representatives and by Sen. Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. and Sen. Jinggoy Estrada in the Senate.Compiled by Marielle Medina and Kathleen T. de Villa, Inquirer Research Sources: Inquirer Archives, Organisation of School Time in Europe by the European Commission, Seoul National University, Chuo University, Australia.gov.au, NYC Department of Education

--DepEd to keep grade, high school opening in June MANILA, PhilippinesThe Department of Education (DepEd) does not see the need to revise the June to April school calendar for preschool, elementary and high school, even if some of the countrys top universities are reportedly planning to align their calendars to the prevailing schedules in the Asean region. The University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University and the University of Santo Tomas are reportedly planning to start their classes in August or September, instead of June, and end it in June or July, instead of April, in line with the economic integration of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in 2015. Asean 2015 is expected to promote mobility in the labor force, students and faculty among the 10 Asean member-nations, including the Philippines. No final decision The Philippines is the only country in the region that follows a June to April academic calendar. Education Secretary Armin Luistro said intercountry student and faculty mobility was not as felt in basic education as it was in higher education. We have no decision yet (on changing the school calendar) with regard to Asean 2015. But the school calendar for basic education (among Asean member-nations) also varies, Luistro said.

In the meantime, he said, the DepEd was sticking to the June to April school calendar since they had already studied the suggestion to move the start of classes to September to avoid frequent class suspensions due to inclement weather at the onset of the rainy season in June and July. Luistro said a study done with the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration showed that typhoons were not always expected in June and July, and heavy rains were not widespread. Besides, if we are still holding classes during the summer months, the children might not be able to study due to the intense heat, he said. The Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) has yet to give its imprimatur to the reported plan of some universities to shift their academic calendar. These top universities enjoy autonomous status, which gives them leeway in determining their academic programs, including their academic calendar. Other colleges and universities have to follow CHEds prescribed academic calendar.

--Septemberopeningofclasses:Itsabouttime About three months since classes opened in June, at least 10 school days have been lost because of weather disturbances. In addition, there were several instances when cancellations of classes were announced late and students were already on their way to school notwithstanding the danger of being out in the street during heavy rains and floods. And it is valid to assume that more typhoons and class disruptions will occur in the coming months as a result of the rainy season. Given the frequent class suspensions, I really wonder if a teacher can still follow and finish what is in the lesson plan for the school year, and if the students will be able to comprehend everything that is presented in the syllabi, for their being absent from school means less time to learn. If this continues, even as we have this K-12 system in place so that students will have more years to study and prepare themselves for work, the quality of graduates we intend to produce will be affected. Give it time Senate Bill No. 2407, which I introduced, proposes the transfer of the school year from June to Septembera move which surfaced sometime before but was not given enough time to be workable. In this bill, I explained that the first three months of the school year, June, July and August, were the peak periods for typhoon in the country. Thus, it has become impractical and unwise to commence the school year during the typhoon season as students, parents and school authorities have to deal with floods, landslides, diseases, lack of transportation and damaged school buildings. Traffic congestion In the urban areas, traffic congestion becomes worse with the onset of the rainy season due to floods and bad road conditions. Also, in flood-prone areas, school buildings are used as evacuation centers. These facilities can be better put to use if they are not being utilized as classrooms, and are ready and properly equipped for emergency during the height of the rainy season. DepEd The Department of Education (DepEd) and the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) have already indicated the very reason for this measure. According to these agencies, historical and scientific data show that there are more typhoons visiting the country from Junethe month we start a new school yearto August, but devastating typhoons

that make landfall usually hit starting September until December, citing Tropical Storms Ondoy of September 2009 and Sendong of December 2011. Beyond our control This confirmation by the DepEd and Pagasa all the more gives us reason to really mull over changing our school calendar. The second half of the year is typhoon season and that is something beyond our control. The present setup where students have to be in school all throughout the period is even worrisome given the affirmation by the DepEd and Pagasa, but we can summon the resolve to act on it. We can minimize the risk of getting our schoolchildren exposed to the adverse weather conditions by cutting short the months that students have to spend in school during the rainy season. Instead of going to school for the rest of the second half of the year, the proposal seeks to reduce to three months the time students spend in school during this period. The more feasible approach, as I see it, is to start classes in September, for it would seem irrational to start classes in June and suspend it in September until December to avoid typhoons that make landfall. Reducing casualty figure Moreover, Benito Ramos, executive director of the the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council, said in an interview on dzIQ that cancellation of classes was significant in lowering the number of casualties when typhoons hit the country since students and school staff just stay in their houses during rainy days. Let me contextualize the proposal further. Not only will the revision of our school calendar address the frequent class suspensions, but it will also lessen the work of the authorities in charge of rescue efforts whenever there are typhoons. Source of concern I know it is always a source of concern for parents like me whenever their sons and daughters leave the house so as not to miss school even if there are heavy rains and typhoons. With this measure, class disruptions as well as the danger to health, life and limb that weather disturbances pose to our students will be minimized. Its about time that we change our school calendar. (Sen. Franklin M. Drilon is the chair of the Senate finance committee.)