The Implementing Guidelines on the SY 2021

1.  RATIONALE

1. The Department of Education ensures the effective implementation of the K to 12 curriculums for every learner to acquire lifelong learning skills for the 21st century, and to experience learning beyond the classroom despite the challenges posed by this pandemic.

2. Amid this health crisis, DepEd has been promoting the government’s overall initiative to encourage strict adherence to public health protocols while implementing policies that ensure the delivery of accessible, responsive, and quality education. Schools and community learning centers (CLCs) are encouraged to adhere to the school calendar and activities to comply with the required number of school days  to  attain the  learning standards and ensure that national/local school events and activities/celebrations are observed.

3. The policy aims to provide direction and guidance to schools and CLCs in planning their   respective   activities   relative   to   curricular    operations    and    other celebrations/ observances within the required number of school days.

R. SCOPE

4. These The Implementing Guidelines on the SY 2021 calendar and Activities shall be applicable to both public and  private  elementary  and secondary schools including CLCs nationwide. Private schools and state/local universities and colleges (SUCs/ LUCs) have the choice to implement or deviate from this School Calendar. They may begin classes not earlier than the first Monday of June and not  later  than September 13, 2021 pursuant to RA 11480. Nevertheless, any deviation from the school calendar shall be reported to the respective Regional Offices (ROs) in advance.

III.    DEFINITION OP TERH8

5. For the purpose of this policy, the following terms are operationally defined as

follows:

a. Co-curricular Activity are authorized, voluntary, and non-graded engagements, whether on or off-campus, that reinforce the development of 2lst-century skills conducted beyond the scheduled contact time between teachers and students. The activities must be anchored on both the content and performance standards in the curriculum

b. School day is a day devoted to instructionally relevant activities pursuant to engaging students in learning the lessons of the curriculum (adopted from D.O. No. 9, s. 2005].

6. The Department of Education issues these policy guidelines to ensure that all public and private schools, as well as non-DepEd schools offering basic education, adhere to the

 

number of school days required to implement the curriculum and school-related activities, such as standard events and activities/observances, throughout the school year. Further, these policy guidelines ensure that school days are properly implemented to support learners in attaining the learning standards.

v.     GUIDELINES

7. School Year 2021-2022 shall formally start on September  13, 202 1 {Monday), and shall end on June 24, 2022 {Friday). There shall be a total of 209 days inclusive of Saturdays and the five-day midyear break. With the compressed school year, the conduct of distance learning activities for learners during Saturdays is authorized but should religious considerations prohibit activities on a Saturday, they shall be undertaken on a Sunday. The teachers, however, will not be required to render service on Saturdays and Sundays.

8. The conduct of face-to-face classes, whether in partial or  full  scale,  will  not  be allowed unless permitted by the Office of the President.

9. In the Alternative Learning System, learning intervention shall formally open on the same date, September 13, 2021 . The program duration will be dependent on the learner’s educational background or existing knowledge level prior to enrollment in the ALS program.

10. Private schools and state/local universities and colleges (SUCs/LUCs) offering basic education have the choice to implement or deviate  from  this School Calendar. They  may begin classes not earlier than the first Monday  of June and not later  than  September  13, 2021, pursuant  to RA  11480.  Any deviation from  the school calendar  shall be reported  to the respective Regional Offices (ROsJ in advance, along with the following documents:

a. The school’s plan for compliance with minimum  health  standards  issued  by DepEd, consistent with guidelines of the Department of Health (DOH), the Inter- Agency  Task Force for the Management  of Emerging  Infectious Diseases (IATFJ and the Office of the President (OP} ;

b. The updated school’s Learning Continuity Plan reflecting the learning delivery modalities that will be implemented , which shall constitute compliance with the requirements  provided under Item b of Annex 3,  DepEd Order No. 021,  s, 2019; and

c. Their school calendar for SY 2021 -2022.

11. In preparation for the opening of classes for SY 202 1-2022, the schools shall conduct

the following activities:

a. Enrollment, which shall be held from August 16, 2021 to September 13, 2021 . A separate set of guidelines on enrollment for SY 2021-22  shall be released; arid

b. Brigada Eskwela and Oplan Balik Eskwela, to be held on announced dates, which shall focus on information campaign, preparations, and strengthening partnerships that complement the Department’s effort to ensure quality basic education.

12. The Basic Education Learning  Continuity  Plan  (BE-LCPJ,  as  contained  in  DO  No. 012, s. 2020 entitled “Adoption of the Basic Education  Learning Continuity Plan for School Year 2020-202 1 in the Light of the COVID- 19 Public Health Emergency” shall continue to provide guidance on the delivery of basic education for SY 2021-2022. The health, safety

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and wellbeing of all learners, teachers, and non-teaching personnel shall remain  as  the utmost priority of the Department.

13. Regional Offices are directed to make adjustments to enhance the implementation of the BE-LCP, to include: 

a. Maximizing the use of DepED TV and and Radio-based instruction to lessen reliance on printed modules; 

b. Utilizing textbooks to enrich learning experience; c. Coming up with a strategy to encourage the return of learners who did not enroll last SY; 

d. Validating the number of private schools that temporarily suspended operations but intend to reopen this SY 2021-2022; and 

e. Ensuring equitable distribution of teacher's workload following the basic standards set in Magna Carta for Teachers.

14. The Most Essential Learning Competencies (MELCS)  shall continue  to apply for the SY 2021-2022. Similarly, assessment of learning shall follow DO No. 031, s. 2020 entitled “Interim Guidelines for Assessment and Grading in Light of the Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan”.

15. As provided in DO No. 029, s. 2018 entitled “Policy on the Implementation of Multi- Factored Assessment Tool (MFAT]”, MFAT shall be administered to Grade 1 learners a month after the opening of classes. The results will be used as basis for instructional planning and for formulating appropriate intervention strategies for learners who exhibit development advancement or delays, or who show manifestations of learning disabilities.

16. Schools may observe national and local celebrations/activities and holidays other than those indicated in Enclosure Nos. 2 and 3, provided that the activities are beneficial to the teaching-learning process and that the total number of class days is not compromised. Regional Offices may issue a supplemental calendar to reflect their local events.

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Demandar

17. Curricular and co-curricu1ar activities shall be  conducted  virtually  in  compliance with community quarantine guidelines. Virtual activities through different  social  media, which require reactions or sharing, may be done for advocacy, awareness, or collaboration purposes but should not form part of the learner’s scholastic grade. Curricular and co- curricular activities  that involve in-person  gathering of a large number  of participants like the National Schools Press Conference  (NSPC),  National Science  and  Technology  Fair (NSTFJ, National Festival of Talent (NFOT), and other similar undertakings shall remain suspended, except for those that can be conducted virtually.

18. Career guidance activities shall be conducted between October 2021 and January 2022 to guide Grades 9 and 10 learners in making informed choices on their preferred Senior High School track. College and middle-level skills fair, job fair, business and entrepreneurship expo, and similar activities shall be conducted during the last quarter of the school year to ensure placement of Grade 12 learners in their preferred curriculum exits.

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19. At the national level, the Bureau of Education Assessment (BEAJ shall conduct the system assessments in the key stages, namely: Early Language Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (ELLNA] and National Achievement Tests (NAT} for Grades 6, 10, and 12. The ELLNA measures the language skills using learning area content and  numeracy  skills while the NAT assesses 2lst-century Skills (problem-solving, information literacy, critical thinking) through the lens of learning areas. The ELLNA and NAT shall cover the  Most Essential Learning Competencies (MELCsJ. On the other hand, the National Career Assessment Examination (NCAEJ shall be administered to ascertain learner's aptitude and interest of learners and to provide them with relevant  information  about  their  skills, abilities, and readiness for academic and non-academic courses.