MANILA, Philippines — Opening of classes will still push through on August 24 but with adjusted activities in areas under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), Department of Education Undersecretary Tonisito Umali said Thursday.
In fact, Umalis said during the online hearing of the House committee on basic education and culture, adjustments will be made in the first two weeks from the time of the reopening of classes amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“Tuloy yung unang araw ng pasukan this coming August 24 for those areas na di-neclare MECQ,” Umali told lawmakers. “We will adjust the first two weeks, so what will happen there is [the] actual delivery and retrieval of self-learning modules shall happen during the first two weeks from the time that we open on August 24.”
(Opening of classes will continue on August 24 for those areas declared under MECQ.)
Students, however, can still access learning materials and modules online, said Umali.
“For those na may access sa online or internet-based learning, radio, and TV-based, magpapatuloy ito. Sa buong Pilipinas, tuloy ang school opening ng August 24,” he said.
(For those who have access to online or internet-based learning, radio, and TV-based, classes will push through. Opening of classes will push through in the whole country.)
“Ang kaibahan lamang ay we have adjusted the activities for all schools affected or who are placed under MECQ para hindi makompromiso yung pinapangamba ng ating mga magulang na pupunta sa paaralan o kaya’y kung paano dadalhin ang self-learning modules,” he added.
(The only difference is we have adjusted the activities for all schools affected or are placed under MECQ to ease the worries of parents who have to go to schools to worries on the delivery of self-learning modules.)
Umali, however, reiterated that they are just adjusting the activities and not suspending classes.
The DepEd official added that Education Secretary Leonor Briones has already directed its directors to be prepared should there be a shift from MECQ to GCQ in various areas in the country.
“They should look forward dahil baka mag-GCQ tayong muli, so pwede na ulit mag-deliver ng self-learning modules, mag-retrieve nito, tapos [baka] biglang mag-MECQ muli,” Umali said.
(They should look forward because we may revert back to GCQ so delivery of learning modules can resume but we may also go back to MECQ at some point.)
As of August 12, there are 21.5 million registered students in public school from kindergarten to high school nationwide, including learners with disabilities and students under the alternative learning system.
Of these, 2.14 million are from Metro Manila.