Impact on exam schedules

Ched's Licuanan, however, warned of the effects the shift would have on entrance and licensure
examinations.

Disadvantage
Licuanan (2017) stated the delayed of review for licensure exam of fresh graduates. With the
delay of graduation, the graduates will have a lesser time to review if they plan to take during the
nearest exam date.

In an interview of ABS-CBN, CHEd last 2014, former CHEd chairperson Patricia Licuanan said
that there are other more important issues to handle such as the quality of students and whether or
not this is at par with international standards.

Licuanan (2014) said that academic calendar shift has “socio-cultural implications” for families
who work in the agriculture sector. He further added that the farming and fishing communities
would have difficulty with an August school opening because agricultural cycles cause them to run
out of financial resources in August.

CHEd thumbs down academic calendar shift

Despite the promise of changing the school calendar, CHEd chairperson Patricia Licuanan said the
shift does not necessarily “internationalize” the country’s colleges and universities.

“This is the essence and challenge of Asean integraton, and the academic calendar is not a major
issue,” Licuanan said, adding that there is no provision in the integration about “synchronizing
academic calendars” in the region.

Schools were also citing climate change as the reason for changing the calendar. The rains and
storms usually greet students when schools open in June.
But Licuanan said the CHEd technical working group noted that tropical cyclones tend to hit the
country between July and September in the last 10 years. Also, classes were usually suspended
from July to October.

“Shifting the start of the academic calendar from June to August would not make much of a
difference,” she added.

“Hence, a June start is most feasible,” Licuanan added.

The chairperson also cited a Department of Education study that showed learning becomes
difficulty during the summer when temperature may reach 40 degrees Celsius.

“There are several long holidays, including Holy Week and fiestas, during the summer months. A
DepEd commissioned survey also showed a 95 percent support for June to March calendar year,”
Licuanan said.

Licuanan also said CHEd was concerned whether or not schools can fulfil the required number of
units in the new school calendar.

However, moves in changing the school calendar do not violate any laws or CHEd memorandums,
Licuanan said.

Among the schools that shifted to the August to May school calendar, from the current June to
March calendar, are the University of the Philippines and Ateneo De Manila University.
Meanwhile, the University of Santo Tomas would start their classes in July.

Read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/589316/ched-thumbs-down-academic-calendar-

shift#ixzz4pLrRtI3X