The Department of Education (DepEd) announced on Wednesday their plans to end the upcoming 2024-2025 school year by March 31, 2025. This adjustment will enable the commencement of the 2025-2026 academic year in June, returning to the traditional school calendar.

This decision follows President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s desire to revert to the previous academic schedule. He mentioned that recent high temperatures have disrupted student learning, prompting this change.

During a televised briefing, Education Assistant Secretary Francis Cesar Bringas explained that the school year starting on July 29, 2024, will end earlier than usual. Students will enjoy two months of vacation before the next school year begins in June 2025. Bringas noted, “For the current school year, we are set to finish by May 31, 2024. The planned opening date for the 2024-2025 school year is July 29. We are now looking at ending it by March 31, 2025, to start the next year in June.”

However, the 2024-2025 academic year will be reduced to 165 school days, which is shorter than the typical 180 to 220 days required by law. “This reduction means we’ll have fewer days to interact with students. We’ll need to manage the possible lack of coverage for some educational competencies,” Bringas admitted.

Despite these challenges, Bringas assured that DepEd will implement several strategies to ensure that all necessary educational competencies are addressed, even with the shortened school year. He added, “Our Bureau of Learning Delivery is already developing a concrete plan to implement the curriculum effectively within this reduced timeframe.