Solon eyes extending current school year until July 2021

ACT-CIS Representative Jocelyn Tulfo called for the extension of the current school year to July 2021 as the country waits for the availability of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Tulfo noted on Tuesday that the current development of clinical trials would suggest that students would not be getting the vaccine before the end of June 2021.

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“We can therefore expect the next school year to start probably in the fourth quarter of 2021 at the earliest because only the COVID-19 vaccine can make it safe for our schools to have face-to-face classroom sessions on campus,” Tulfo said in a statement.

“This means the current school year can be extended to the end of June or within July 2021 before the onset of the monsoon rains,” she added.

The ACT-CIS Representative said extending the school year would give flexibility for more or longer mental health breaks.

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“I ask the IATF and Task Force on Vaccination to involve the education sector especially on determining the best ways to systematically vaccinate teachers, students, and their families because they are among the vulnerable sectors of our society,” Tulfo said.

“At this time, it would be best for the IATF to develop a tentative vaccination plan which can be adjusted as needed depending on when the vaccines can be administered,” she added.

Solon eyes extending current school year until July 2021

According to DepEd Order No. 30, series of 2020, classes will resume on October 5 and end on June 11, 2021.

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Over 24 million basic education students have enrolled for the school year 2020-2021, with 22.5 million registered in public schools.

Last week, the Commission on Higher Education () rejected calls for an  nationwide or even in Luzon following the extensive damages of typhoons in the Philippines.

In a television interview, CHED chairperson Prospero De Vera III noted that CHED could not make a single decision on academic break.

“No to both, especially for the nationwide academic break because the impact of the typhoon and the disasters are different across different parts of the country,” he said in an interview on CNN-Philippines.

For De Vera, the local government and the school administration should decide whether to implement a break depending on their area’s situation.