DepEd: Saturday classes not yet necessary

MANILA, Philippines – Despite the cancellation of classes in some areas since last week, the Department of Education (DepEd) said Saturday make-up classes are not yet necessary in public schools as the current academic calendar has “buffer days” that can be used to catch up on missed lessons.

DepEd Assistant Secretary Jesus Mateo said school principals, in coordination with parents and other stakeholders, must decide how the students could catch up on the missed classes due to the cancellations caused by heavy monsoon rains and floods.

Based on the current academic calendar, public elementary and high schools have 202 school days inclusive of the five-day in-service training break.

It also has a nine-day semestral break from Oct. 24 to Nov. 1 as well as an 11-day Christmas break from Dec. 22 to Jan. 1.

Mateo said it is up to the local DepEd officials and the schools to adjust their respective calendars to ensure that students do not miss out on lessons because of the class suspensions.

In previous years, DepEd recommended other alternatives to Saturday make-up classes, such as after-school or take-home lessons.

“Make-up classes are recommended in lieu of class cancellations due to occurrence of natural and man-made calamities. A mechanism for having make-up classes must be agreed upon by the school administrators and parents,” said DepEd in a memorandum on the current academic year.

Last-minute cancellations were issued by some local government units yesterday morning after the issuance of a heavy rainfall warning by the state weather bureau.

Among those that suspended classes from pre-school to senior high school yesterday were Quezon City, Caloocan, Masantol in Pampanga, San Jose Del Monte in Bulacan, Dinalupihan in Bataan, and Cabanatuan in Nueva Ecija.

Classes in all levels were also suspended in Valenzuela, Navotas, Malolos in Bulacan, Dagupan City in Pangasinan, Abucay in Bataan, and Tarlac City and the towns of Victoria, Pura, Capas, Conception, Ramos, Sta. Ignacia and Paniqui in Tarlac.