To: Undersecretaries
Assistant Secretaries
Bureau Directors
Directors of Services, Centers and Heads of Units Regional Directors
Schools Division/City Superintendents
Heads, Public and Private Elementary and Secondary Schools
All Others Concerned

1. In line with the mainstreaming of the reforms in basic education, the Department of Education (DepEd) issues the School Calendar for School Year (SY) 2012-2013. The opening of classes shall be on Monday, June 4, 2012 and the last day shall be on Friday, March 22, 2013 with a total of 200 schools days required.
2. This School Calendar aims to synchronize all core events and teaching-learning activities in order to maximize the use of the required 200 school days for the SY 2012- 2013 which include the 180 days to be used for non-negotiable teacher-pupils/students contact time and the five (5) days In-Service Training (INSET) break and parent-teacher conference. The different school events and activities with the number of school days per quarter are detailed in Enclosure No. 1.
3. Private schools may deviate from this School Calendar. However, they shall not start their classes earlier than June 4 and not later than the last day of August as provided in Republic Act (RA) No. 7797 entitled “An Act to Lengthen the School Calendar from Two Hundred (200) Days to Not More Than Two Hundred Twenty (220) Class Days.” They shall notify the appropriate/respective DepEd Office in advance regarding any deviation.
4. Specific guidelines are provided in Enclosure No. 2 to enable the schools to implement the school events and activities effectively and efficiently.
5. The regional and division offices (ROs/DOs) shall provide support to the schools especially in the areas of instruction and progress monitoring and evaluation.
6. The schools may observe national and local celebrations/activities and holidays other than those indicated in Enclosure No. 3, provided that the total number of school days is maintained, and make-up classes shall be conducted to compensate for the school days spent for said activities. In this regard, the RO may issue a regional school calendar to reflect their respective concerns, provided that the total number of school days is not compromised.
7. The ROs shall submit the Consolidated Report on the Actual Number of School Days with activities held in every school in its different school divisions under its jurisdiction not later than two (2) weeks after the end of the school year. The report shall include recommendations on how the policy on meeting the required number of school days can be strengthened and submit this report to the Office of the Undersecretary for Programs and Projects, Attention: Bureau of Elementary Education (BEE) and Bureau of Secondary Education (BSE), DepEd Central Office, DepEd Complex, Meralco Avenue, Pasig City.
8. Immediate dissemination of and strict compliance with this Order is directed.

Encls.:
As stated
References:
DepEd Order Nos.: 28 and 34, s. 2011

To be indicated in the Perpetual Index
under the following subjects:
CALENDAR,
SCHOOL
CELEBRATIONS & FESTIVALS
CLASSES
POLICY
SCHOOLS

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