DepEd says expansion of face-to-face classes to push through next year

MANILA, Philippines—Despite the threat of Omicron variant, the Department of Education (DepEd) is not going to back out of its plan to expand the conduct of limited face-to-face classes.

“There is no pushing back,” Education Secretary Leonor Briones said Friday at a press conference.

She said the DepEd will not push back its plans “as long as it [Omicron variant] is not here [in the Philippines], for as long as the danger is perceived to be milder.”

“In the meantime, we proceed. We cannot stop,” she said.

The pilot run of face-to-face classes is currently ongoing with a total of 177 public schools and several private schools participating. The pilot run will be up to the end of this month but the DepEd is hoping it will expand by January next year.

A memorandum dated Dec. 9, 2021, by the DepEd has directed all public and private schools to prepare for the implementation of the expanded phase of the face-to-face classes targeted to start in early 2022.

Based on the memo, the expanded phase shall cover all grade levels from Kinder to Grade 12.

Briones assured that they have been in coordination with the Department of Health.

“The President gave us the discretion to expand as long as we follow the Department of Health’s protocols,” she said.

Aside from risk assessment, she said there should also be a go signal from the local government units and the parents.

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JPV