CLASSES IN most private schools in the country have already started as early as July 15, at least two weeks earlier than the official start of the school year set by the Department of Education on July 29, 2024.
After two pandemic school years, and after witnessing the many effects of the heat index on the well-being of students and teachers last April and May, we are slowly reverting to the June opening and March closing of the school year.
I remember how during my first few years as a school head, the first day of classes was always like an obstacle my team and I wanted to hurdle swiftly in just one move. I always looked forward to the days ahead when things have “normalized” and I can then focus on accomplishing the tasks I have set for the school year.
Back in the days, the preschool and grade one rooms were the busiest areas with all our hands on deck as we navigate through a series of challenges – learners crying on top of their voices looking for the parents, guardians insisting on staying inside the room to look after their wards, among others.
It really takes tons and tons of patience, genuine love and if may just add, creativity for preschool and primary teachers to survive even for just the opening day. Thanks to their experience, they always find a way to pacify their young learners and assure them that things would be okay if they just stop crying and start participating in the activities, along with their new-found friends.
In the mid-2000’s, we introduced our own version of two-week pre-opening enrichment classes for incoming preschool and grade one students, complete with simple recognition rites at the end of the session. While others viewed it simply as a marketing ploy, we considered it as a way to prepare our young learners to be ready for school even prior to the official start of classes. The two-week period enabled these young learners to have a real feel of the classroom setting without parents by their side, interact with kids their age who would later on be their classmates, and familiarize themselves with the classroom routine.
This pre-opening activity proved to be effective because one, the first week of classes for the preschool and grade one learners became pretty manageable and less stressful over the years. Second, enrolment in these departments has increased, thanks to the summer enrolees who opted to continue their academic journey in our school.
It’s an entirely different story in the high school department, where parents reacted vehemently when they find the name of their children not belonging to what they consider the first section, the crème de la crème in the batch. But can we actually blame them if this was the era of homogenous sectioning when the theory of multiple intelligences was not even considered in grouping the students?
I remember how year after year, this was always a source of unnecessary stress and bickering, with some parents even threatening to pull out their children if they were not placed in the section they felt they “deserved.” The irony of it was that while there were some who insisted to be placed in the “star section,” there were a number who requested to be transferred to other sections so they can simply be “normal.” Their reason? Simply put, they want to be out of the highly competitive section where everyone was running for honors and enjoy their high school life like many of their happy-go-lucky batch mates.
With the issuance of DepEd Order No. 36, s. 2016 containing the Policy Guidelines on Awards and Recognition for the K-12 Basic Education Program, we implemented the heterogeneous grouping from grade four to ten. Students are simply arranged alphabetically, and then divided equally among the sections to make sure there is an ideal number of male and female students per section. Since then, things have changed dramatically. Parents have learned to embrace these changes, knowing that it is what is best for their children.
The opening of the school year in the country will always have its share of issues, challenges and problems. Let us hope that as both public and private school administrators resolve the usual problems they encounter at their level, the national government address the more pressing issues that have been plaguing the education sector for years.
