This School Calendar aims to synchronize all core events and teaching-learning activities in order to maximize the use of the 201 school days for the SY 2013-2014 which include the 180 days for non-negotiable teacher-pupils/students contact time and the four (4) days In-Service Training (INSET) break and parent-teacher conferences. The different school events and activities with the number of school days per quarter are detailed in Enclosure No. 1.
Private schools may deviate from this School Calendar. However, they shall not start their classes earlier than June 3 and not later than the last day of August as provided in Republic Act (RA) No. 7779 entitled "An Act to Lengthen the School Calendar from Two Hundred (200) Days to Not More Than Two Hundred Twenty (220) Class Days". They shall notify the appropriate/respective DepEd Office in advance regarding any deviation.
Specific guidelines are provided in Enclosure No. 2 to enable the schools to implement the school events and activities effectively and efficiently.
The regional offices (ROs) and the division offices (DOs) shall provide support to the schools especially in the areas of instruction and progress monitoring and evaluation.
The schools may observe national and local celebrations/activities and holidays other than those indicated in Enclosure No. 3, provided that the total number of school days is maintained, and that make-up classes shall be conducted to compensate for the school days spent for said activities. In this regard, the RO may issue a regional school calendar to reflect their respective concerns, provided that the total number of school days is not compromised.
Each RO shall submit the Consolidated Report on the Actual Number of School Days with activities held in every school in its different school divisions under its jurisdiction not later than two (2) weeks after the end of the school year. The report shall include recommendations on how the policy on meeting the required number of school days can be strengthened and submit this report to the Office of the Undersecretary for Programs and Projects through the Bureau of Elementary Education (BEE), 2nd Floor Bonifacio Building and the Bureau of Secondary Education (BSE), 3rd Floor Bonifacio Building, DepEd Central Office, DepEd Complex, Meralco Avenue, Pasig City.
Guidelines on the Implementation of the School Calendar for School Year (SY) 2013-2014 (Enclosure No. 2)
1. In preparation for the opening of classes for SY 2013-2014, the schools shall conduct the following activities:
- Early Registration on Saturday, January 26, 2013 of pupilslstudents in the schools where they wish to study
- National Schools Maintenance Week (Bngada Eskwela) on May 20-24, 2013 to enable the community and the school to prepare their facilities; and
- In-Service Training (INSET) activities for teachers to be held a week before the opening of classes.
2. The school year shall formally open on Monday, June 3, 2013 and end on Monday, March 31, 2014, it shall consist of Two Hundred One (201) class days. This is inclusive of the following:
- Four (4)-day semestral break for INSET and the parent-teacher conference that shall be held on a Saturday of the month before the end of every quarter. The conference is intended to apprise the parents of the progress or performance of their children and ensure parental involvement in school activities. For the secondary level, the first parent-teacher conference shall be on a Saturday at the end of the first month of the quarter so that early on, parents and teachers can collaborate to improve learning and track student progress.
- The last week of every quarter shall be the culminating performance of students. There shall be an exhibit and exhibition of pupils/students products and performances to demonstrate attainment of performance standards.
- To ensure quality in the school operation and actual teaching-learning, a 180-day non-negotiable contact time for teachers and 201 days for school heads to be in school shall be enforced.
3. As part of its opening rites, all schools are expected to conduct a general assembly for the purpose of orienting stakeholders on the curriculum and co-curricular programs and ancillary services lined up for the year in support of learner development and continuous improvement of school outcomes.
- For the secondary level, the general orientation shall include a career exposure program for the First to Third year students to acquaint them with the various career pathways, which they opt to pursue.
- A career guidance program for those in the Fourth year in preparation for the careers or courses they prefer to pursue after high school shall be conducted between July 2013 and March 2014.
4. All elementary schools shall conduct the following activities:
- School Readiness Assessment (SReA) in Grade I;
- Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Checklist for Kindergarten, and
- The Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (Phil-IRI) from Grades Ito VI within the school year.
5. On the other hand, all secondary schools shall perform a diagnostic assessment on the readiness for learning of Grade VII students in order to prepare developmentally-appropriate intervention programs.
6. At the end of the Second Quarter, a mid-term break shall be observed to appraise individual-teachers and their collective performance, and on this basis, conduct INSET activities in support of continuing professional development.
7. The Christmas break shall begin on Saturday, December 21, 2013. Classes shall resume on Monday, January 6, 2014.
8. To quality assure the pupil/student's learning, formative assessments shall be regularly conducted by the schools, the National Educational Training and Research Center (NETRC) shall administer the National Career Assessment Examination (NCAE), and the National Assessment Test (NAT) to assess the attainment of the 21 Century Literacies in varying levels of complexity.
9. The summer classes shall begin on Tuesday, April 8, 2014 and end on Monday, May 23, 2014 which is the last day for the final examination. It shall consist of a three (3)-hour daily sessions per subject area from Monday to Saturday for thirty-six (36) days exclusive of May 1, 2013 which is a legal holiday.
10. Conferences and training programs which are conducted or sponsored by the Department shall be conducted during the summer break as part of its capacity-building program.
-Nothing follows-
