The Department of Education’s proposal for a trimester system from kindergarten through senior high school for the incoming School Year 2026-2027 requires congressional scrutiny and extensive consultation with stakeholders prior to implementation, Senator Bam Aquino warned Sunday.

Aquino, chair of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, was reacting to a pitch made by his former colleague, Education Secretary Sonny Angara, to provide a longer and more flexible instructional period aimed at promoting quality education.

However, the chairman said that while the panel supports reforms intended to address learning gaps, these cannot be put into effect immediately without “undergoing extensive consultation.”

“The Committee on Basic Education supports proposals and reforms that will address the learning gap and assist teachers, who are currently overloaded with non-teaching tasks. While we recognize the need for comprehensive reform, we must ensure that it is not implemented hastily and that it undergoes proper consultation,” Aquino said.

“We will ensure that there is a Senate hearing on this reform to review and discuss it,” he added.

Under the current system, the school year is divided into four quarters, starting in June and ending in March, with a midterm break in October and a two-week holiday break in late December up to the first week of January.