DepEd: Over 10,000 schools OK’d to resume limited in-person classes

A Navotas public school opened its doors to students after a two-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic. Image from Navotas LGU / Facebook

MANILA, Philippines — Over 10,000 public and private schools have so far been allowed to resume limited face-to-face classes, an official of the Department of Education (DepEd) said Wednesday.

“A total of 9,994 public schools and 212 private schools are already in the participating level. Ang ibig sabihin ng participating, ito ‘yung nominated schools that are now under Alert Levels 1 and 2. Ito po ‘yung pwede na magbukas,” Education Assistant Secretary Malcolm Garma said in a press briefing, citing data as of March 22.

(A total of 9,994 public schools and 212 private schools are already at the participating level. These are the nominated schools that are now under Alert Levels 1 and 2. These are the schools that can already reopen for face-to-face classes.)

“In fact marami po dyan ay nakapagbukas na or nakapagsimula na ng kanilang (many of these have already reopened for) limited face-to-face classes. So the total of these participating schools is 10,196 schools,” he added.

According to Garma, a total of 14,396 public and private schools with 2.6 million learners have been nominated by DepEd regional offices to resume limited in-person classes.

Garma explained that nominated schools are those that have already passed the School Safety Assessment Tool against COVID-19. However, he noted that these schools may have or may not have secured concurrence yet from their respective local government units.

President Rodrigo Duterte approved in January the proposal of DepEd to expand in-person classes in public and private schools in areas under Alert Levels 1 and 2, following the pilot run of physical classes last year.

In February, the DepEd also allowed more grade levels to participate in the “progressive expansion” of face-to-face classes. Before this, only kindergarten, Grades 1 to 3, and senior high school students were allowed to join the pilot run of in-person classes.

Participating schools are required to comply with DepEd’s School Safety Assessment Tool, should be located in areas under Alert Levels 1 and 2, and secure concurrence from the local government unit. Students participating in the in-person classes must have a written consent from their parents, and only vaccinated teachers may hold the classes.

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