QuestionsQuestions (Republic Act No. 11480)
RA 11480 amends Section 3 of Republic Act No. 7797, which is an Act to lengthen the school calendar from 200 days to not more than 220 class days.
Under the amended Section 3, the school year shall start on the first Monday of June but not later than the last day of August.
If there is a declaration of a state of emergency or state of calamity, the President may set a different date for the start of the school year upon the recommendation of the Secretary of Education.
The Secretary of Education recommends to the President the different date for the start of the school year.
It applies to all basic education schools, including foreign or international schools.
In implementing the Act, the Secretary of Education shall determine the end of the regular school year considering the Christmas and summer vacations and the peculiar circumstances of each region.
The Secretary of Education may authorize the holding of Saturday classes for elementary and secondary levels for both public and private schools.
It means the deferred school opening rule applies even if some other law provides otherwise.
The Department of Education must consult relevant stakeholders (as stated in the text).
All laws, acts, presidential decrees, executive orders, administrative orders, rules and regulations, or parts thereof, inconsistent or contrary to RA 11480 are modified, amended, or repealed accordingly.
It takes effect immediately upon its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
It updates the statutory rule on when the school year begins, including specific constraints (first Monday of June; not later than last day of August) and an emergency/calamity mechanism.
It indicates that the President’s action is not purely discretionary but must be based on the Secretary of Education’s recommendation.
RA 11480 primarily modifies the start date and provides authority on how to structure the school year (including possible Saturday classes), while leaving the underlying framework of lengthening to not more than 220 class days under RA 7797 intact.