FILE PHOTO: Officials in schools participating in the pilot run of in-person classes, like those in (clockwise from upper left) Zambales, Lanao del Norte, Aklan, and Pangasinan, ensure that health protocols are observed by teachers and students. —PHOTOS BY JOANNA ROSEAGLIBOT, DIVINA SUSON, DEPED WESTERN VISAYAS AND ALAMINOS CITY LGU
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) on Monday said they have allowed more grade levels to participate in the “progressive expansion” of face-to-face classes in areas under COVID-19 Alert Levels 1 and 2.
Initially, kindergarten, grades 1 to 3, and senior high school students were permitted to join the pilot run of in-person classes.
“With the expansion phase, we would like to give that opportunity and chance to the other grade levels so that mag-umpisa na yung setting of the consciousness among our learners and teachers na talagang time will come na talagang school-bahay ang learning at teaching process natin,” DepEd Assistant Secretary Malcolm Garma was quoted as saying.
(With the expansion phase, we would like to give that opportunity and chance to the other grade levels so that the setting of consciousness among our learners and teachers will form since the time will come that school-to-h-ouse learning will be our new learning and teaching process.)
Garma added that the capacity of participating eligible schools to strictly adhere to health and safety regulations should be considered when including additional grade levels.
“It’s really up to the schools, our divisions, and regions to make that right programming, the right combination of what grade levels can be included in the expanded limited face to face,” he said.
Garma reiterated that the expanded face-to-face classes are participated by vaccinated teachers, while vaccinated students are ideally preferred.
Unvaccinated teachers and personnel may be allowed to report onsite only if they have a negative result of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or rapid antigen test, according to the officer-in-charge, Undersecretary for Human Resource and Development Wilfredo Cabral.
Based on DepEd’s latest data, 304 schools in COVID-19 Alert Level 1 or 2 areas are eligible to begin face-to-face classes.
Meanwhile, 59 pilot public and private schools in Regions 4A, 8, 10, and National Capital Region are still implementing limited in-person classes. — Jericho Zafra, trainee