What Can We Expect from a Shorter School Year?

Due to the intense heat, the DepEd has been debating to whether or not to reduce the number of days kids spend in school.

As the heat index hits the higher 40s, some of us are considering it insane to send our kids to attend face-to-face classes. There’s only so much that staying cool and hydrated can do with the heat quickly shifting from dry to humid the next! Although some schools have air-conditioned classrooms, public schools don’t and the heat can affect how our kids absorb the information and how well teachers can impart information. Thus, the DepEd recently began discussions to shorten the school year.

“The immediate effect of the transition is if we’re going to end in March 2025, the number of school days will be reduced to 165,” reveals DepEd Assistant Secretary Francis Bringas. “But doing so may require schools to remove certain competencies and masteries from the curriculum.”

A Balancing Act of Optimum Learning Conditions and Catching Up

While we’re probably celebrating the possibility that our kids will have more vacation days, others are probably wondering how the kids will “catch up” or “get ahead” of their peers. Lawmakers have pointed out how Filipino students are falling short. And as parents, we tend to be highly competitive, especially regarding schoolwork with the premise that grades decide a person’s future deeply ingrained in us.

It’s why we put our kids through various summer camps and schools – besides preparing them for the future, we want them to stay ahead of the other kids and to make them stand out.

However, what’s the point when our kids can’t concentrate and absorb information because the heat’s beating down on them? Even teachers, who wear uniforms made from thick fabric, are probably struggling to keep their heads straight and their energy up.

Shorter school years call for innovative means to teach!

We know how important technology is in transferring knowledge, especially to far out areas in the Philippines. But with the heat also affecting the equipment transporting the internet, there’s also a need for modular methods to adapt to these changes. Methods to reduce the heat may be more long-term, like planting trees, changing architectural materials, and the like.

But as parents, the best thing we can do is find or make learning opportunities out of our daily lives. Because sometimes, experience can be a better teacher than a book.

More about this crazy heat?

Heatwave Hacks: How Families Can Stay Cool Under Fire
Why Some Classes are Suspended Due to Extreme Heat
4 One-Pot Summer Recipes to Beat the Heat