00:00President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approves the proposal of the Education Department to shift
00:05from a quarterly to a trimester system for public schools beginning school year 2026 to 2027.
00:10The shift aims to address the long-standing issue of compressed learning periods caused by class
00:15suspensions due to natural hazards and overlapping major events. Consultations were conducted with
00:21educational institutions even though the proposal did not undergo pilot testing. Under the DepEd's
00:26plan, the new academic calendar will have a total of 201 days divided as follows. The Alliance of
00:32Concerned Teachers calls the approval of the trimester system rushed and half-baked. But the
00:37Education Department notes changing the academic calendar is only one of the government's plans
00:42for the education sector as it faces a massive crisis.
