MANILA, Philippines: The Department of Education moved the end of school year 2023-2024 to May 31, 2024, paving the way for the gradual return to the old school calendar.

The directive under Department Order 003 series of 2024 signed by Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte also set the date of the school break from June 1 to July 26, 2024. It was set initially on June 14.

School Year 2024-2025 is set to begin on July 29, 2024 and end on May 16, 2025.

Education Undersecretary Michael Wesley Poa said the department order was their way of gradually shifting the school calendar without compromising the number of school days of learners.

"You can see that our school calendar will gradually shift back to the usual April to May break, which is why we did this year, we will end on May 31 and we will begin on July 29, and then slowly move it until we return to the April-May break" Poa said in a chance interview with reporters Tuesday.

He added that the move aims for a full return to the traditional school calendar by School Year 2026-2027, where school starts from June until March and vacation is from April to May.

Poa said that the gradual return to the previous school calendar was brought about by a recent survey conducted by the Philippine Normal Education, as well as consultations with teachers, learners, and relevant stakeholders.

He said the removal of seven academic days from the current school calendar to move up the date of the end of the school year won't diminish the quality of competencies that would be taught to students.

As the last day of school is set on May 31, quarterly examinations are scheduled on March 25 and 26 for the third and May 16 and 17 for the fourth.

End of school year events are set from May 29 to 31, while the National Learning Camp will be from July 1-19. Brigada Eskwela, on the other hand, is set from July 22 to 27.