DepEd sets ‘stringent’ conditions for proposed face-to-face classes dry run

Education Secretary Leonor Briones. FILE PHOTO / Henzberg Austria / Senate PRIB

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) has set stringent conditions should the pilot run of face-to-face classes be allowed by President Rodrigo Duterte.

DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones detailed the conditions to be discussed to the President as presidential spokesperson Harry Roque announced that face-to-face classes will be among the agenda in the Cabinet meeting set on February 22.

“Naghahanda kami sa baka dadating ang panahon na i-lift na ni President ang deferment ng pilot studies natin na ito. Sabi namin i-tighten, ang conditions are very, very stringent,” Briones said in an online Palace briefing.

(We are preparing in case the President lifts the deferment of the pilot studies. We tightened it, the conditions are very, very stringent.)

Briones said the pilot study of face-to-face classes must be approved by local government units before it is implemented.

There must also be a written consent from parents allowing their children to partake in the pilot study of face-to-face classes, Briones added.

“May mga parents na hindi pa rin nila lubos ma-gets o makita kung ano ang puwedeng advantage kung magkaroon tayo ng face-to-face,” Briones explained.

(There are parents who still do not understand the advantages of having face-to-face classes.)

“So kailangan na consent ng parents dahil kung minsan nakikita natin na kung may mangyayari baka sisihin ang DepEd o kung sino ang sisisihin, so kailangang papayag ang parents,” she went on.

(So there must be parents’ consent because if something happens, they might blame DepEd or whoever, so parents must give their consent.)

Briones also noted only schools that are physically near hospitals, have medicines and water access may be allowed to join the face-to-face classes dry run. She, however, stressed that this will still depend on the assessment of the Department of Health.

“Sabi rin namin na iyong lahat ng services relative to education like transportation, like canteens, iyong food, etc., kailangan ma-secure natin na malinis,” she added.

(We also thought that cleanliness of all services relative to education like transportation, canteens, and their food be ensured.)

Last year, Duterte canceled the pilot implementation of face-to-face classes due to the threat of the new coronavirus variant first detected in the United Kingdom.

KGA