Classes aren't suspended, yet schools are less than half empty

Classes aren't suspended, yet schools are less than half empty

by Josh Fishy - 11/02/2015

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While the Roman Catholics are as busy as a bee paying homage to the dead today November 2, classes and office works are going on. But in public schools throughout the country, most students are nowhere in sight.

In one of the public schools in Bohol, only around 10% of its student population are in attendance. And since more than half are absent, teachers can't hold their classes with only less than 5 students around.

One of the reasons why students can't make it to school today is that they are used to commemorate All Souls Day while classes are suspended.

According to Michael, a grade 9 student, that nobody wants to go to school today because it has been expected that classes are irregular. He added that November 2 is supposed to be a non-working holiday because All Souls Day celebration is a part of our culture and tradition, especially for the Catholics.

On the other hand, teachers are still happy because they don't have to hold a make up class on a Saturday. In schools, if a holiday is not on the list of holidays in the school calendar, a Saturday class will be conducted.

To make their time not to go down the drain, teachers have to do their paperworks like preparing the students' report cards which are due to be released next week.

Meanwhile, Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Cardinal Quevedo said that November 2 should have been declared holiday because it is the appropriate day to remember our deceased loved ones, and that making All Souls Day a working holiday would send a wrong message to Catholics.