By: Abraham Reign Magbiro
Photo Courtesy of Philstar | Development Asia
Senators called for a formal review of the Department of Education’s (DepEd) proposal to implement a trimester academic calendar for School Year 2026-2027, stating the major change requires a broader stakeholder consultation before implementation.
Sen. Bam Aquino, chairperson of the Senate committee on basic education, focusing on the need for a Senate hearing and extensive discussions on the proposed shift, warning against a rushed rollout without proper consultation.
“Before DepEd implements the trimestral system, it is important that this undergoes extensive consultation,” Aquino said.
“The Committee on Basic Education supports proposals and reforms that will address the learning gap and assist teachers, who are currently overloaded with non-teaching tasks. While we recognize the need for comprehensive reform, we must ensure that it is not implemented hastily and that it undergoes proper consultation,” Aquino added.
DepEd earlier floated the idea of shifting to a trimester setup this month, saying the structure could create longer, uninterrupted periods of instruction, reducing administrative burden for teachers, as well improve lesson pacing.
“Sisiguraduhin natin na may Senate Hearing tungkol sa repormang ito, para suriin at pag-usapan ito," Aquino said.
Under the proposed calendar, the school year would still run June to March but will be divided into three academic terms with built-in enrichment blocks for remediation and administrative tasks.
Teachers’ group ACT Philippines, raised concerns about the proposal, saying that the shift may not be based on sufficient evidence and could affect existing challenges, such as learning gaps and workload pressures, forcing meaningful consultation before structural changes are adopted.
Meanwhile, Malacañang expressed support for public consultations regarding the proposal, saying discussions among stakeholders is necessary to ensure ideal outcomes for both learners and educators.
In addition to the trimester debate, lawmakers have also suggested related measures, including a voucher expansion bill aimed at helping students from low and middle income families attending private schools in areas with overcrowded public classrooms.
The proposed shift comes after the Second Congressional Commission on Education reported significant drops in proficiency levels among students in Grades 3, 6, 10 and 12.
The measure also aims to ease the administrative workload of teachers, amid a shortage of more than 30,000 educators as of 2025.
For 2026, the national budget earmarks a record P1.3 trillion for the education sector, including P29 billion for the hiring of additional teachers and P42 billion for non-teaching personnel.