Opening of classes in August favored amid COVID-19 crisis

MANILA, Philippines — Stakeholders, experts, education officials and teachers favor holding off the opening of classes until August as the country grapples with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the Department of Education (DepED) said.

During the Laging Handa briefing on Tuesday, DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones said education officials, stakeholders, experts and teachers have been consulted on whether or not classes should be postponed.

“Karamihan ay nagsasabi na para may panahon tayo na maghanda sa pagbabago ng edukasyon, pagbabago ng pamamaran ng pagtuturo at saka kailangan masigurado nating malinis at safe yung ating kabataan karamihan sa nagrerespond ay para sa August,” Briones said.

However, she claimed that the opening of classes would still depend on the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) and the decision of the President.

“Alam naman natin na ang IATF, pinag-aralan ng husto ang kabuuang sitwasyon sa ating bansa hinggl sa (enhanced community quarantine) kaya kung anuman ang rekomendasyon ng IATF at ng desisyon ng president, dahil ang presidente ang magdedesisyon nito, may influence ito kung kailan magbukas ang klase,” the DepEd chief said.

On Monday, DepEd launched on its Facebook page a national online survey to gauge the public’s pulse on the reopening of classes for the school year 2020-2021.

https://www.facebook.com/359105487482485/posts/3550714701654865/?d=n

“The DepEd is conducting this survey to better inform its policies and decisions on the matter. DepEd values the consultation and involvement of its stakeholders in the decision-making process, particularly those who will be significantly affected by the decision/s relative to the opening of classes,” the department stated in its FB post.

‘Learning has to continue’

Briones said that while health and safety should be prioritized, she underscored the importance of learning continuity.

“We want to protect, for our part, our learners, our teachers, and staff. But at the same time…importante na learning has to continue. Health and safety ang una. Pangalawa, the learning process has to continue whether they are at home or whether they go to school,” she said.

(We want to protect, for our part, our learners, our teachers, and staff. But at the same time…it is important that learning has to continue. Health and safety should come first. Second, the learning process has to continue whether they are at home or whether they go to school.)

“Kailangan tuloy yung learning process, pananagutan natin yan. Nasa Konstitusyon yan na kailangang bigyan ng edukasyon ang ating mga bata,” she added.

(The learning process should continue; that is our responsibility. Under the Constitution, we need to provide education to our children.)

The DepEd secretary also assured that should the opening of classes be postponed until August, students and teachers can make use of alternative modes of learning during the

“Yung kabataan, dahil hindi sila papasok ng dalawang buwan kung hindi matutuloy ang opening sa June, sila ay ine-encourage natin na pumunta sa mga website natin…Ang pinakapopular ay ang tinatawag natin na DepEd Commons,” she said.

(Our children, because they will not go to school for two months if ever the opening of classes would not push through in June, they are encouraged to go to our websites…The most popular one is the DepEd Commons.)

“Nandun yung leksyon, mga test na very, very interesting hindi na kagaya ng dating practice siguro sa panahon ko. Hindi ibig sabihin na we say na August ang pasok sa eskwelahan ay walang gagawin yung mga bata, walang gagawin ang teachers,” she added.

(You can access lessons, there, as well as very, very interesting tests unlike the old practice during my time. It does not mean that when we say that the opening of classes will be in August that students and teachers will no longer be productive.)

“Mayrong gagawin ang mga bata sa kanilang tahanan. Meron silang ibang mga learning activities para matupad naman ang requirement ng law na we have of number of days to devote to schooling,” she further said.

(The children will have something to do in their homes. They will have alternative learning activities so that the requirement of the law will be met on a certain number of days to devote to schooling.)

DepEd Undersecretary Nepomuceno Malaluan, meanwhile, said it would still be up to the IATF if it would allow the students’ physical attendance to classes once it opens.

“When we say we are opening the school year, probably in August as mentioned by the Secretary, it does not necessarily mean na ang mga bata ay pupunta sa paaralan, depende yan sa kung ano ang desisyon ng IATF,” Malaluan said in the same briefing.

(When we say we are opening the school year, probably in August as mentioned by the Secretary, it does not necessarily mean that the students will be there physically, it would depend on the decision of the IATF.)

EDV