DepEd to submit class opening proposal to Duterte

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) will submit for the approval of President Rodrigo Duterte its proposal for the opening of classes next school year.

In a televised briefing on Thursday, DepEd Undersecretary Annalyn Sevilla said among the options in the recommendation is for the opening of the school year 2021-2022 on August 23 as previously announced.

“Right now, ang atin pong Department of Education has prepared a proposal that we will submit to the President and the Cabinet level,” Sevilla said.

(Right now, the Department of Education has prepared a proposal that we will submit to the President and the Cabinet level.)

“So ang una pong option natin ay yung unang lumabas, yung August 23 at meron din po kaming ibang mga dates na iprepresent po ni Secretary sa ating Presidente,” she added. Sevilla, however, did not divulge other possible dates for the opening of classes.

(The first option is what has been previously said which is on August 23 and there are also other dates which the Secretary will present to the President.)

Last school year, the opening of classes was moved from August to October.

It was made possible by a law signed by the President allowing the adjustment of the opening of classes beyond August in an event of a state of emergency or calamity.

Sevilla added that face-to-face classes will not resume unless approved by the government’s COVID-19 task force, the Department of Health, and the President.

“Pero magtutuloy po ang pag-aaral dahil nagawa na po natin ito ng isang school year, ito po yung blended learning delivery approach. Kung hindi man po tayo mag-face-to-face, dire-diretso pa rin po tayo,” Sevilla said.

(Learning will still continue because we have done this for one school year which is the blended learning delivery approach. If we won’t hold face-to-face classes, we will still proceed with this.)

Because of the pandemic, the delivery of education has shifted to distance learning where learning modules, television, radio, and the internet are being used as the media of instruction.

/MUF