This was my report in the subject Educational Systems and Current Issues in Education ..

1. SCHOOL CALENDAR
Jessa Paola G. Campo
BBTEBTL III-2N

2. An academic term or term is a portion of
an academic year, the time during which an
educational institution holds classes.
The schedules adopted vary widely.
• A semester system divides the academic year into
two terms, which are usually 14–20 weeks each.
• A trimester system divides the academic year into
three terms which can be as short as eight weeks
or as long as 16 weeks each.
• A quarter or quadmester system divides the
academic year into four terms, up to 12 weeks each,
and generally counts the summer as one of the
terms.

3. THE PHILIPPINE SCHOOL CALENDAR
The Philippine school year runs for ten months, and a school year
must be at least 200 days as prescribed by law. The school year begins
on the first week of June and ends on the last week of March.
In most schools, summer break usually lasts for two months,
starting from the first week of April up to the last week of May. Most
schools end the school year before Holy Week. The Christmas Break
usually begins in the third week of December, and classes resume the
Monday or week after New Year’s Day (unless that Monday is January
2). Commencement ceremonies are often held in late March or early
April.

4. REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7797
AN ACT TO LENGTHEN THE SCHOOL CALENDAR
FROM TWO HUNDRED (200) DAYS TO NOT MORE THAN
TWO HUNDRED TWENTY (220) CLASS DAYS
SECTION 1. Lengthening of School Calendar. — Any
provision of law to the contrary notwithstanding,
the school calendar for each year beginning school
year 1995-1996, shall be lengthened to not more
than two hundred twenty (220) class days,
inclusive of class days which may be subsequently
suspended due to natural or man-made
calamities.
Sec. 2. Non-reduction of Class Hours. — The total
number of class hours per day provided under the
present system shall not be reduced to compensate
for the increase in class days.
Sec. 3. Start of the School Year. — The school year
shall start on the first Monday of June but not later
than the last day of August.

5. Sec. 4. Issuance of Rules and Regulations.
— The Secretary of Education, Culture
and Sports shall issue, within ninety (90)
days after the approval of this Act, the
necessary rules and regulations to
implement this Act and ensure that the
total class days prescribed in this Act shall
be devoted to the attainment of learning
objectives.
Sec. 5. Repealing Clause. — All laws,
presidential decrees, executive orders,
rules and regulations or parts thereof
inconsistent with this Act are hereby
repealed or modified accordingly.
Sec. 6. Effectivity Clause. — This Act shall
take effect upon its approval.

6. BASIC SCHOOL CALENDAR SHIFT
- an organization of UP faculty members
called it “a drastic overhaul of tradition,” and
expressed opposition to the shift in academic
calendar saying that this “will have
an impact on the rhythm of
social life and cherished
indigenous cultural rituals.”

7. SCHOOLS PLANNING CHANGE IN
ACADEMIC CALENDAR
Other member schools of the Catholic Educational Association of
the Philippines (CEAP) are also thinking of changing their school
calendar following announcements made by Ateneo de Manila
University and the University of the Philippines except Diliman on
Thursday that they are shifting their academic calendars from June-
March to August-May.
University of Santo Tomas, De La Salle University, and Adamson
University.
UP will start its new school calendar in August, 2014, except for
Diliman while Ateneo will implement the shift in August, 2015.

8. ADVANTAGES OF SCHOOL
CALENDAR SHIFT
The shift would open up opportunities
not just for students to easily transfer to
other educational institutions abroad, but
also to universities.
- Joseph Noel Estrada, CEAP legal
counsel

9. DISADVANTAGES OF SCHOOL
CALENDAR SHIFT
Disruption of 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, that’s something
they have to work out.
Weather
- 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.

10. • The Department of Education (DepEd) is
not inclined to change the academic
calendar for elementary and high school
students.
• CHEd allows higher education institutions
to change their academic calendars as
long as these are in accordance with the
law.