A Reaction Paper
In Issues and Trends in Nursing
Shifting the Academic Year, Moving Towards Globalization
ANCHETA, Melquiades C.
St. Louis University
February 2014
UP, Ateneo moving college class opening to August
by Ina Hernando Malipot
February 7, 2014 (updated)
Manila, Philippines The University of the Philippines (UP) system and the Ateneo de Manila
University (ADMU) yesterday announced that they have already finalized the shift of their
respective academic calendars from June-March to August-May after a series of consultations
and deliberations.
UP President Alfredo Pascual confirmed the shift, saying that the UP has adopted, on a pilot
basis, the shift in its academic calendar starting August, 2014. Recognizing the need to pilot
test the shift, he explained that the UP Board of Regents (BOR) approved the start of the school
year in August, 2014, in the following campuses: UP Manila, UP Los Baos, UP Baguio, UP
Visayas, UP Mindanao, UP Open University, and the UP College in Cebu.
Ateneo, in an announcement in its Facebook Page, said it will implement the shift in academic
calendar starting School Year 2015-2016. ADMU said that its Board of Trustees during its
February 5 meeting approved the academic calendar shift from June-March to August-May,
effective school year 2015-2016 for the Loyola Schools and the Professional Schools.
Seven UP campuses have already completed consultations over the past year and have written
the BOR that they are ready to shift their calendar to facilitate academic exchanges, joint
research, quality assurance benchmarking, and promote students and faculty mobility.
UP Diliman, on the other hand, has not completed its stakeholder consultations and will hold a
forum on February 10 where experts will discuss historical, cultural, climatic and international
context related to the shift in academic calendar.
The change in UPs academic calendar consists of June-October to August-December for First
Semester; November-April to January to May for the Second Semester; and May-June to June
to July for Short Term.
Pascual said the decision to shift the academic calendar is part of the continuing efforts of UP
to develop into a regional and global university and to maximize the opportunities offered by
ASEAN integration and global educational partnerships. The shift in academic calendar, UP
said, is in line with RA 9500 of UP Charter citing that one of its mandates is to serve as a
regional and global university in cooperation with international and scientific unions, networks of
universities in the Asia Pacific Region and around the world.
The shift is also in preparation for the 2015 ASEAN integration where countries are expected to
fully implement the Action Plan of the ASEAN Economic Cooperation that promotes, among
others, the free flow of goods and services among its member countries. One of the challenges
in promoting student and staff mobility is the harmonization of the academic calendar of the
countries in the region, Pascual said.
Pascual also stressed that synchronizing the academic calendar with most ASEAN, European
and American academic partners, according will create more joint programs and partnerships
with other universities, allow students to get transfer credits, particularly under ASEAN and
ASEAN +3 Credit Transfer System (ACTS), and address the problem with semestral gaps with
partner universities.
The calendar synchronization of members of the ASEAN University Network (AUN), Pascual
added, also lays the groundwork for increasing students and faculty mobility within the region.
Among AUN member universities, only the Philippines starts its academic calendar in June, he
said. Most universities in China, Korea, Japan, and North America also start their classes in
August or September. However, only three Philippine universities are members of the AUN
including UP, Ateneo, and De La Salle University are all planning to shift to a new academic
calendar either in 2014 or 2015.
Pascual explained that moving the calendar from June to August will also create a longer break
for graduating high schools students before they enter UP.
Ending the semester in December and starting the second semester in January, Pascual
stressed, will also create an uninterrupted semestral system that will reduce transport costs for
students who go home during the holidays.
Pascual said that the concerns raised during the consultation process in various campuses,
such as the release of UPCAT results, schedule of licensure examinations, field activities,
clinics and internship, and schedule of UP traditions like the lantern parade will be addressed
by the different units during the pilot implementation period. An evaluation of the impact of the
academic calendar shift will be presented to the BOR after one year, he said.
Meanwhile, Ateneo said that implementing the change in academic calendar is in response to
the increasingly globalized world. In an official statement issued by University President Jose
Ramon Villarin, SJ, he said that Ateneo needs to ensure that our graduates develop a global
outlook and global competencies so that they can navigate a more complex, interconnected
world and contribute towards resolving global concerns.
Villarin added that the academic calendar shift will align the Ateneo schedule to more than 80
percent of its current university partners overseas and more than at 70 percent of all
universities around the world. This, he added, will facilitate mobility among students and
faculty members and collaborative academic programs and research.
The decision Villarin explained, was a result of internal study and intensive consultations over
the last eight months. Faculty members, administrators, students, staff, parents and employers
participated in a series of consultation meetings, focus group discussions and/or survey, he
said.
While it maintains an autonomous status, Villarin said that ADMU informed the Commission on
Higher Education (CHEd) of the process. The various stakeholder groups by and large
supported the initiative, he added.
In opting to implement the shift next year instead of this year, Villarin said that there remain
concerns and adjustments to be addressed to ensure a smooth transition. Among these, he
added, is the timing of the licensure exams, particularly in law, medicine, and electronics
engineering. However, he assured that the one-and-a-half years will be dedicated to work
through these concerns thoroughly and systematically. We are confident that we will be ready
by 2015, he added.
However, academic calendar for Ateneo Grade School and High School, said Villarin will remain
in the June to March academic calendar. For them, no shift in the academic calendar is
currently being considered, he ended.
No decision yet on August school opening for state colleges
By Helen Flores (The Philippine Star) | Updated February 8, 2014 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has not decided whether
or not to move to August the school opening for state universities and colleges, even as it
warned of adverse effects of changing the academic calendar on the educational system.
CHED is concerned about the possible implications and impact of these changes should more
institutions follow suit. Proper study, consultation and preparation are necessary, CHED
Chairman Patricia Licuanan said.
Licuanan explained that she is worried about the repercussions of revising the academic cycle
on the educational system as well as on the scheduling of various licensure examinations.
She cited as an example the school year of high school students, which ends in March. With the
new academic calendar for colleges and universities starting in August, this would mean high
school graduates would have a gap of four months before they could enter tertiary school.
The CHED created the high-level Technical Working Group on the Academic Calendar (TWG-
AC) to carefully study and provide recommendations on the school calendar shift.
The TWG-AC is composed of stakeholders from the education sector and is headed by former
CHED chair and University of the East president Ester Garcia.
Other members of TWG-AC are the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations,
Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges, Department of Education, National
Youth Commission and representatives from large universities and small colleges.
The CHED expects the panel to submit their recommendations to the commission before the
end of next month.
The University of the Philippines, except its campus in Diliman, and the Ateneo de Manila
University on Thursday announced their shift from a June-March school year to August-May
calendar.
The UP System will commence the new academic year this coming school year 2014-2015, and
Ateneo in 2015-2016.
Licuanan said De La Salle University (DLSU) and the University of Santo Tomas (UST) have
also informed CHED about their plans to revise their calendars.
These changes are motivated by the desire of these institutions to internationalize their
programs and the experience of their students and faculty. CHED allows higher education
institutions to change their academic calendars as long as these are in accordance with the
law, Licuanan noted.
Republic Act No. 7797, section 3 states that the school year shall start on the first Monday of
June but not later than the last day of August.
New school calendar targets foreigners
Earlier, UP vice president for public affairs Prospero de Vera said the economic integration of
the Southeast Asian region in 2015 is one of the main factors that contributed to the decision of
UP to change its academic calendar.
Most members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) University Network as
well as China, Japan, Korea, European Union, and the United States start their classes in
August, September or October.
The Philippines is the only country with universities in the network that start their academic year
in June.
UP president Alfredo Pascual said the synchronization will create more joint programs and
partnerships with other universities, allow students to get transfer credits, particularly under
ASEAN and ASEAN +3 Credit Transfer System, and address the problem with semestral gaps
with partner universities.
Ateneo president Jose Ramon Villarin, for his part, said the change in the academic calendar
would align the schedule of the Ateneo to more than 80 percent of its current university partners
overseas and more than 70 percent of all universities around the world.
But Victor Villanueva, president of the UST Law student council, noted that many Filipino
families, especially in rural areas, would be hard-pressed to adjust to the new school calendar.
June is post-harvest season and is the time many Filipino families have ample disposable
income to send their children to school, said Villanueva, a former president of the National
Union of Students of the Philippines.
I think the real motive is to attract foreign students and for education-related businesses to earn
more income, he added.
The Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP), on the other hand, supports the
decision of UP and Ateneo.
We can only show our support to them for taking the step towards a globally competitive
educational institution, said CEAP Advocacy and Information Management officer Anthony
Coloma.
REACTION:
The Philippines has long been a leader in the region with respect to achievements in education,
and by 1970, the Philippines had achieved universal primary enrollment. Early successes,
however, mask a long-term deterioration in quality, and the national figures obscure wide
regional differences. In Manila, close to 100 percent of students finish primary school, whereas
in Mindanao and Eastern Visayas less than 30 percent of students finish. A recent study
showed that many Filipino children between 9 and 14 in mathematics, science and reading were
two standard deviations below the international mean. Not surprisingly, urban/rural differences
were especially pronounced (World Bank, 1999). The United Nations found that the Philippines
was the only country in the region for which the youth literacy rate decreased between 1990 and
2004, from 97.3 percent to 95.1 percent (United Nations, The Millennium Development Goals
Report 2006).
There were several reasons why the educational system of the Philippines deteriorated. Experts
cited that Philippine education is one of the shortest in the world with an educational ladder of
6+4+4 structure (six years elementary, four in secondary and usually four to gain a bachelor
degree). The language of instruction is quite confusing because of the utilization of English and
Filipino as media of teaching inside the classroom which resulted to mix language instruction.
Another is the implementation of lesson plans made by the elementary teachers that were not
done in reality. It has been a nature among teachers to impress superiors by formulating a well-
versed lesson plans and visual aids which consume much of their time. Thus, they will end up
rushing discussing the lessons with the limited time left. Another important factor to note is
poverty. Many Filipinos in poor areas can hardly send their children to school because they
have no money to buy school requirements such us uniforms, notebooks, papers, and writing
materials as well as the many projects in all subject areas. Instead of going to school, as they
should, these children are forced to work to help in the family finances. Too much politics is
another reason that pulls down the quality of our education. Every time there is a new
government, plum positions like heads of agencies to cronies or loyal friends even if they are
not qualified to hold such positions. Common transaction that is rampant inside the government
is the formulation of projects to get a chunk from the funds which resulted to the creation of
ghost projects that were not really existed. Finally, there is a brain-drain in our country
because of very low salaries and benefits for teachers. Many good teachers are lured to go
abroad and work as domestic helpers to earn better salaries for their families because they do
have family to support with (Almedejar, E. 2010).
In August 8, 1967, the institutionalization of the ties that bound these nation-states through its
geographical location, history, culture, mutual interests and similar problems and challenges,
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was created to share the responsibility of
strengthening the economic and social stability of the region. Other nearby countries joined the
advocacy during the past few years. In 2007, the Association adopted a charter that codified
regional norms and commitments made by the member-states. The commitment of the
organization to keep its relevance, assert its centrality, and remain as the driver is clearly
manifested by ASEANs continuing effort to integrate the region through the creation of a
regional community by 2015.
The end-goal of ASEAN economic integration is the full realization of an ASEAN Economic
Community (AEC), wherein the region will be transformed into a single market and production
base, a highly competitive region, a region of equitable economic development, and a region
fully integrated into the global economy. The decision to create the AEC was part of ASEANs
strong commitment to deepen and broaden economic integration which requires liberalization
and cooperation among the ten member-states. The creation of ASEAN Free Trade Area
(AFTA) in 1992, ASEAN member-states are geared towards the attainment of a common goal:
that of reducing, eliminating tariffs on trade, with few exemptions, to better facilitate trade.
Cutting down the cost of doing business effectively translates into a more competitive and
efficient ASEAN (Amador, J. and Teodoro, J. 2014).
As such, the contemplation of moving the start of the academic year to August will promote
harmonization with the other countries in the region and also with the European and American
counterparts. These will enhance the students and professionals mobilization by allowing
exchange of people to the different ASEAN countries. Maximizing the potential of every
individual by exposing them to other educational institutions and facilities in other countries, will
address the deteriorating educational system we have. This academic exchange we have in the
future will allow us to ensure quality services in addressing the welfare of the people.
With the congruence of academic year with other countries, it will also attract foreign students
and other education related businesses to venture our country. It is evident, even if we are
not that progressive as the other countries, that there are colleges and universities that can go
within or even beyond the standards and qualifications of other educational institutions abroad.
We are noted to be a producer of excellent nurses abroad, this is a manifestation that we can
fight head to head against other countries. That is even being strengthened by our fluency in
speaking the English language.
Another benefit we need to look into is the reduction of transport costs. Students who are living
away from home will be profited with this change because semester breaks is in congruent with
some of the special holidays. It will also reduce the frequent cancellation of classes in all levels
because of typhoon occurrences during the second quarter of the year. Aside from that, tropical
diseases will be possibly reduced because students will tend to stay at home during the wet
season.
Many object the shifting of the academic year. However, in Republic Act No. 7797, an Act to
Lengthen the School Calendar from Two Hundred (200) Days to not more than Two Hundred
Twenty (220) Class Days, section 3 states that the school year shall start on the first Monday of
June but not later than the last day of August. Hence, moving the start of classes to August is
allowed by the law of the land.
Finally, there may be slight problems we may encounter as we implement such provisions
however, we should become optimistic towards change. It has been long before that the other
countries have embraced such change. Now that the ASEAN countries opened their doors, we
should not deprive ourselves and reluctant to experience the goodness of such integration.
However, such move is not the ultimate solution to revive the profligacy of Philippine education,
it is just part of it. The main solution I guess is to terminate people in the government who are
corrupting and blatantly creating programs that were not realized.
REFERENCES
Clark, Nick. Education in the Philippines. World Education News and Reviews. 2009
Almedejar, Evelina. The Deterioration of Education in the Philippines. The News Today. 2010
Amador, Julio III & Teodoro, Joycee. A United Region: The ASEAN Community 2015. Rappler.
2014
