Catholic education leaders warned that the proposed shift to a three-term academic calendar could harm learning if the system is not ready for the transition.
In a joint statement, the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) and the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Catholic Education (ECCE) said they “acknowledge the Department of Education’s proposal to adopt a three-term academic calendar for School Year 2026–2027,” saying the move aims to support “learning recovery and system efficiency.”
But the groups stressed that “the true measure of this reform lies not in the calendar itself, but in the system’s readiness to redesign teaching, learning, and assessment around it.”
They emphasized that the shift “is not merely a scheduling adjustment but a systemic transformation that demands coherence across curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment,” adding that reforms of this scale must be “grounded in evidence, guided by consultation, and supported by sustained capacity-building.”
The groups warned that changes in scheduling without corresponding adjustments in instruction could strain classrooms.
“Time redistribution without corresponding curriculum reconstruction risks shallower coverage, accelerated pacing without mastery, increased assessment pressure, reduced remediation space, and heightened teacher fatigue,” the statement said.
They added that these risks “are not theoretical but reflect the lived realities of classrooms when structural reforms outpace instructional readiness.”
CEAP and ECCE said reform should be judged by outcomes rather than compliance, stressing that changes must “improve learning outcomes, strengthen teacher effectiveness, and sustain student well-being.”
They also called for a phased rollout, saying “a reform of this scale necessitates a deliberate, well-paced, and adequately supported transition,” including time for curriculum remapping, teacher formation, and systems alignment.
The groups warned that differing academic calendars between public and private schools could create complications, including challenges in “student mobility, college admissions alignment, teacher deployment, and even household planning.”
“These realities underscore that private schools operate within complex social and regulatory environments,” the statement said, urging “continued dialogue, policy sensitivity, and a phased, research-informed approach” to ensure coordination and protect education quality.
The Department of Education has proposed the three-term calendar as part of broader efforts to improve the school system, but Catholic educators said the reform risks failing if implemented without the necessary structural preparation.
