Classes least disrupted from Jan. to June — DepEd study

An ongoing study by the Department of Education (DepEd) shows that classes are least disrupted by bad weather from January to June each year, Education Secretary Armin Luistro said Monday. Classes, on the other hand, are most disrupted by class suspensions from June to December each year, he said. At the Senate hearing on the DepEd's proposed budget for next year, Luistro said these are the initial trends in an ongoing DepEd study covering the past decade. He said 54 percent of school divisions have submitted data for the study, and the agency is expected to finalize its findings 'in a month or so.' Luistro reported this data in response to an issue raised by Senator Franklin Drilon concerning the use of classrooms as evacuation centers during disasters. Drilon said the fortification of classrooms as potential evacuation centers is a double-edged sword – serving as shelters for affected families, on one hand, and depriving students of study venues, on the other. "On school days, the number of hours in a classroom can be reduced and affected," he noted. For his part, Senator Edgardo Angara said the DepEd also needs to get the inputs of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services administration for a more scientific decision on the matter. On the other hand, Senator Loren Legarda pointed out that climate change has made it more difficult to determine when to expect bad weather. "Wala nang tag-ulan at tag-araw ngayon," she said. The hearing was ongoing as of posting time. — RSJ, GMA News