2 days Ago By SunStar Cebu
By Teachers’ Dignity Coalition national chairman Benjo BasasWe reiterated our call for reforms in the school calendar to ensure a more sustainable and teacher-friendly schedule for the upcoming school year 2025-2026. The group has submitted five key proposals to the Department of Education (DepEd) aimed at improving the system for both teachers and students.These recommendations aim to enhance the quality of education while ensuring the well-being of both teachers and students.
Among the proposals is the inclusion of buffer days in the school calendar to accommodate adjustments in case of unforeseen events such as natural calamities or class suspensions. This will help schools meet the required number of class days without overburdening teachers and students with excessive make-up sessions.We also push for periodic health breaks of at least two days at the end of each quarterly examination.
These scheduled breaks will help prevent burnout and support the physical and mental well-being of both teachers and learners.Another recommendation is to shorten the duration of in-service training, which is usually conducted for a week, to a maximum of three days. Professional development activities should be more focused and efficient, ensuring that teachers can enhance their skills without sacrificing much-needed rest and personal time.
We are also calling for an end to Saturday activities, such as meetings with parents or card distribution. We insist that teachers should be given their legally mandated weekends off to recover from their weekly workload, emphasizing that adequate rest is essential for maintaining their effectiveness in the classroom.We welcome DepEd’s decision to adopt flexibility in the mandatory one-month vacation for teachers.
This flexibility ensures that teachers can properly rest and recharge without compromising their responsibilities.We remain hopeful that DepEd will consider and implement these proposals in the official school calendar for the 2025-2026 academic year.TDC, along with other teachers organizations, participated in a consultative meeting with Undersecretary Cabral last Friday to discuss urgent concerns affecting educators.
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