MANILA, Philippines — The opening of classes for the next school year has been set on August 24, 2020, due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Department of Education (DepEd) announced Tuesday.
Education Secretary Leonor Briones said the school opening date was selected based on consultations with various stakeholders and on a survey involving 700,000 respondents.
“Ang napili nating school opening date ay August 24,” Briones said in a televised Laging Handa public briefing.
But this does not necessarily mean that students have to physically report to school, Briones said as she noted that classes may be done virtually in some areas.
The school year will end on April 30.
Briones said the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Disease has been informed of the school opening date.
The DepEd is looking to implement alternative learning systems, such as online learning and offline methods like take-home readings and activities, in delivering education next school year.
Teachers, Briones added, would have to report for work starting June 1 to prepare for the upcoming school year.
Earlier, Malacañang said classes won’t start in June considering the country’s ongoing battle against the infectious respiratory disease.
Traditional school systems have not restarted since President Duterte suspended classes on March 10 due to the COVID-19 threat.
Instead, some schools conducted online classes as the government prohibited mass gatherings to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The Philippines, so far, has 9,485 COVID-19 cases, including 1,315 recoveries and 623 deaths.