MANILA – The Department of Education (DepEd) has adjusted the four quarters for school year 2020-2021 in response to the "key challenges” in teaching students during the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
In DepEd Memorandum issued on October 30, DepEd Undersecretary for Curriculum and Instruction Diosdado San Antonio said the decision is part of the suggested measures to foster "academic ease" during the Covid-19 pandemic.
San Antonio also said that DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones has been "closely monitoring the delivery of basic education services” in public schools since October in collaboration with the Executive and Management Committees.
"There is a need to recalibrate the strategy of assigning teaching responsibilities of teachers and learning activities of the learners with the assistance of their parents,” he added.
The DepEd extended the first quarter of the school year up to Dec. 12, 2020.
The second quarter would start from Jan. 4, 2021 to Feb. 27, 2021; the third quarter, Mar. 1, 2021 to Apr. 24, 2021; and fourth quarter, Apr. 26, 2021 to Jun 11, 2021.
"The week of Dec. 14 to 19, 2020 will be devoted to In-Service Training (INSET) which may include MELCs (Most Essential Learning Competencies)-based Quarter 2 planning for Distance Learning Delivery Modalities (DLDM)," San Antonio said.
Briones earlier scheduled the first quarter Oct. 5 to Nov. 28, 2020; second quarter, Dec. 1, 2020 to Feb. 6, 2021; third quarter, Feb. 15, 2021 to Apr. 10, 2021; and the fourth quarter from Apr. 12, 2021 to June 5, 2021. (PNA)
