THE “FIVE-DAY Week Scheme” is one of the most drastic changes in the university’s
class schedule format. Mondays are reserved for related-learning activities and regular
classes are to be held from Tuesdays to Fridays in this new system. While this has long
been a topic of discussion among administrators and deans of the university, it is only in
this school year that the proposition is being implemented.
Some of the advantages of the new scheme include saving on expenses as students
do not have to go to school for a subject or two only and the making of Mondays as
substitute class days in cases of typhoons or special holidays .Academically, it allows
for longer class hours per meeting thereby affording teachers and students a lengthier
discussion of lessons. Students are allowed more time to rest over much longer weekends
as well.
On the other side of the system is a totally different picture: students getting hellbent
on finishing daily heaps of schoolwork, exams and activities and consequently
neglecting other subjects. Teachers struggle to finish lesson plans and the checking of
students’ papers. What’s more is that both teachers and students, instead on minimizing
expenditures, ironically spend the same or even more than in the previous school day
system as they need to travel to the campus for required activities and faculty meetings.
There have been instances where required university activities, which should ideally be
held on Mondays according to the “Five Day Week Scheme”, took place on other school
days, thereby making the system fail under the
category of convenience.
Though it is a good initiative to address
problems regarding the university’s costsavings
and the continuity of classes during
major disruptions, this has somehow triggered a negative effect on the academic and
professional performance of students and teachers.
Lumping together subjects and sessions meant for five days has the potential of
burdening students with too much to do in four days. This would in turn, affect the
academic performance and productivity of many in the population. It could increasingly
make the maintenance or improvement of the current standards of excellence that we
uphold difficult as students and faculty are continuously subjected to physical, mental and
financial strain through the “Five-day week scheme”.
However, the fatigue could just be a sign of adjustment of the student population and
faculty. Nevertheless, this does not mean that the administration should wait for it to wane
out. There should be a concerted effort from all sides to make the transition easier and
truly worthwhile. This means that support should be given to students especially those
belonging to courses with heavy subject loads to cope with the changes. Additionally,
required university activities should strictly be held outside of the regular recitation days
to avoid disrupting classes.
the Weekly Sillimanian believes that there are other viable solutions for the university
to cut costs in its operations like the immediate repairing of leaking and dysfunctional
equipment and facilities within the university to avoid wastage and many others that the
university has to consider and examine.
There is a long and winding semester ahead of every Sillimanian this school year. A
lot of changes have and will still come that will either improve or downgrade the student
life that we know of within the university. The new school day system, at its infant stage,
has yet to experience a lot of polishing and trial runs before it can truly fulfil its purpose
and equally bring about positive changes in the performance of students and teachers.
For now, what we can do is to manage out time effectively, do our best academically, keep
calm and carry on.
