Teachers request more preparation for the three-term calendar

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines is calling for more preparation and training among teachers, as the three-term calendar gears up for the upcoming school year.

“The teachers can do it, but they need support because the changes are drastic,” ACT Chairperson Ruby Bernardo said in Filipino during a House hearing on Monday.

“It should be clear how the teachers should do it…. I think we need more time,” she added.

Earlier this month, the Department of Education (DepEd) hosted an orientation session for educators and school heads. The agency said the orientation aims to ensure the direct and accurate implementation of the academic reform.

However, Ms. Bernardo noted that the program, conducted in schools’ covered courts amid high heat indexes, did not meet “quality” standards. “Many of our teachers did not fully grasp how to transition into the new system.”

“I also watched the orientation in our school, and the YouTube video,” she added. “One thing that I noticed was that this is beyond the school calendar.”

In line with the shift from four periods to three terms, the grading system, lesson planning, and learning competencies will also require adjustments to align with the reform.

“From what I’m hearing from DepEd, teachers would really carry the implementation,” Ms. Bernardo said. “The teachers will navigate the implementation, but the orientation is not of high quality.”

“With the remaining days, I think we need to further help our teachers and provide adequate support,” she added.

The agency’s three-term calendar will be divided into three blocks – opening, instructional, and enrichment. The new calendar targets a minimum of 163 instructional days.

“The design of the three-term calendar can reach up to 163 solid instructional days,” DepEd Learning Systems Strand Assistant Secretary Jerome T. Buenviaje said in Filipino during a house briefing.

“If we look at the data, this is higher compared to the current system that is being interrupted by activities,” he added.

Over the past five academic years, DepEd highlighted that no schools have reached a “solid” 180 school days.   “By paper, by policy, it was stated that it should be 180 days, but it was not complied on the field,” said Mr. Buenviaje.

The three-term school calendar for 2026-2027 will run from June to September, October to December, and January to April. — Almira Louise S. Martinez