The Second Congressional Commission on Education is pushing to move away from broad class suspensions, warning that repeated cancellations are costing students weeks of learning even when some schools are already safe to reopen.
EDCOM 2 said calamity-related suspensions wiped out an average of 15 school days per year in school years 2024-2025 and 2025-2026. Negros Occidental lost 71 days, largely because of the prolonged Kanlaon Volcano unrest, while Canlaon City lost 61.
Metro Manila’s 16 school divisions also lost an average of 15 days, mostly because of typhoons and the southwest monsoon.
EDCOM 2 co-chair Rep. Roman Romulo said decisions should be more granular, giving principals, superintendents and local officials greater room to assess whether classes should continue or resume.
The commission wants Executive Order No. 66 amended so class suspensions can be based on national hazard thresholds, local risk assessments and actual conditions at individual schools.
Under the proposed setup, a school could reopen once its campus is deemed safe even if a wider suspension remains in effect elsewhere in the city or province.
EDCOM 2 also cautioned that online classes are not a realistic fallback for many students. Its data showed only 37 percent of teachers had laptops and just 17 percent of students had devices needed for online learning.
The commission is also proposing annual learning continuity plans for schools, including printed modules and home-based options. It said the urgency is greater because at least half of students were still reading below grade level at the end of school year 2025-2026.