Malacañang on Monday clarified that the Department of Education’s (DepEd) proposal to shift to a trimester system remains under study, emphasizing the need for further assessment and stakeholder consultations before any implementation.
Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the proposal is still at the discussion stage, with DepEd presenting possible advantages of adopting a trimester academic calendar.
“Ito ay proposal pa lamang po at inilalahad nila ang maaaring advantage ng pagkakaroon ng trimester… Nandoon pa lang po sa stage ng pagpo-propose,” Castro said in a Palace briefing.
She added that a more thorough study is needed to determine whether the shift should be implemented.
“So, mas mainam na mas maagarang pang pag-aaral ang gawin kung dapat itong i-implement,” she noted.
Responding to calls from the Alliance of Concerned Teachers for public consultation, Castro said broader discussions among stakeholders would be beneficial.
“Mas maganda naman po talaga na pinag-uusapan lahat ito ng mga stakeholders, ng mga interested parties, lahat po, para po ma-reach iyong pinakamagandang programa para sa ating mga kabataan,” she said.
DepEd earlier floated the possibility of adopting a trimester system as part of reforms aimed at improving learning outcomes and addressing calendar-related challenges.