Trimester system gets Marcos’ nod but teachers fear new burden

MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved the proposal of the Department of Education (DepEd) to shift from a quarterly to a trimester or three-term system for public schools beginning school year (SY) 2026-2027.

The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) announced the approval on Sunday, March 22, saying that the shift to a three-term system “aims to address the long-standing issue of compressed learning periods caused by class suspensions due to natural hazards and overlapping major events.”

“While the proposal has not undergone pilot testing, consultations have been conducted with various educational institutions prior to its presentation,” the PCO said.

Under the DepEd’s plan, the new academic calendar would have a total of 201 days, divided as follows:

Term 1 (69 days, June to September)

• Opening block, for “learner profiling, baseline assessments, and essential administrative processes”: 5 days
• Instructional block, for “uninterrupted teaching and learning”: 54 days
• End-of-term block, for activities and celebrations, “targeted remediation and enrichment for learners, in-service training for teachers, and wellness breaks for both teachers and learners”: 10 days

Term 2 (65 days, September to December)

• Instructional block: 55 days
• End-of-term block: 10 days

Term 3 (67 days, January to early April)

• Instructional block: 61 days
• End-of-term block: 6 days

“This reform strategically addresses long-standing systemic inefficiencies, such as the documented loss of up to 53 school days in SY 2023-2024. By redesigning how time is structured in schools, the reform ensures learning,” the DepEd said in a statement on Monday, March 23.

“The shift from four quarters to three terms significantly streamlines grading cycles and reduces reporting peaks, easing administrative burden and allowing educators to concentrate on what matters most — effective instruction.”

‘Half-baked’?

According to the DepEd, it conducted “a rigorous, multi-stage consultation process” with students, teachers, school leaders, parents, the Senate, and the House of Representatives before deciding on the calendar shift.

But the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) called the approval of the trimester system “rushed” and “half-baked,” saying that their appeals for proper consultation and thorough planning were disregarded. The group urged the DepEd not to push through with the shift.

“Ang mga ganitong polisiya na minadali…tiyak na papalpak at kaming mga nasa eskuwelahan na naman ang mag-iimbento ng paraan at sasalo sa lahat ng kakulangan. At matindi pa, sa pagpalpak nito, kami na naman ang may kasalanan,” ACT chairperson Ruby Bernardo said in a statement.

(Rushed policies like this one are doomed to fail, and school personnel will again be forced to figure out ways to adjust and make up for the shortcomings of the system. What’s worse is when it fails, it’ll be our fault.)

“Hindi kalendaryo ang ugat ng krisis sa edukasyon. Kahit anong ayos ng school calendar, kung kulang ang silid-aralan, guro, at pasilidad, at kung gutom ang mga estudyante, mananatiling atrasado ang kalidad ng edukasyon,” added Bernardo.

(The calendar isn’t the root of the education crisis. No matter how we change the school calendar, if there aren’t enough classrooms, teachers, or facilities, and if students remain hungry, the quality of education would still be poor.)

The DepEd noted that changing the academic calendar is only one of the government’s plans for the education sector — a sector facing a massive crisis despite receiving the biggest share of the national budget.

“Complementary initiatives include accelerated classroom construction, expanded school-based feeding and strengthened nutrition programs, intensified literacy interventions, provision of textbooks for all learners, and a refined inter-agency policy on class suspensions,” the department said.

Crucial preparations

Another group, the Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC), said switching to a three-term system might help address the problem of lost learning time, streamline teachers’ tasks, and offer more time for rest and wellness.

But TDC stressed that these potential benefits would only materialize if there are “sustained and genuine” consultations with stakeholders and “comprehensive” pilot testing, among others, to ensure that all will be ready for the shift.

In a hearing of the Senate basic education committee last March 3, University of the Philippines Diliman professor Lizamarie Olegario warned that “a trimester shift, if poorly implemented, may introduce major disruptions across curriculum pacing, assessment schedules, materials, reporting systems, and school operations.”

The DepEd and public schools will have just around two months to prepare for the new three-term system, as SY 2026-2027 opens in June. – Rappler.com