Would changing the academic calendar generate improvements? Since we experience heavy rains so frequently in the months of June to October, will the adjustment of the academic calendar to start in August make a change? It was said that only the Philippines and Thailand has not fully adapted the implementation of the new academic calendar.
Most of the universities and colleges will be implementing the new academic calendar this year. The new academic calendar will be having the first semester from August to December while the second semester will fall from January to May. School administrators have carefully examined the effects of this adjustment. There advantages and the disadvantages will be as follows.
The primary advantage of implementing the new academic calendar is addressing the challenges brought by the weather here in the Philippines. In this new academic calendar, the month when there are heavy rains felt in that land (i.e. June to July) will be the time for class vacation. With these, the schools will be limited on suspending class due flood and heavy rains. Another advantage of this change is being aligned with the international academic calendar. Most of the developed countries like United States and Europe is implementing this academic calendar. Furthermore, the implementation of the K + 12 programs are part of this alignment to international standards for it will also facilitate the recognition of Philippine diplomas to different academic institutions worldwide.
The advantage of implementing this new academic calendar is that the students will be attending classes in the hottest days of the year, that is, April to May. One could imagine having their classes in not well-ventilated classrooms.
While having this new academic calendar seems a sacrifice, it can have better results in the future. Aligning the academic calendar to the international standards is one step to becoming world-class. The quality of education in the Philippines is in its move to improvement. Along with the implementation of the K-12 program, we will be as competitive as other countries in the near future.
By: Raynaldo D. Calma Jr.