DepEd: Full face-to-face classes guidelines out after August 15

FILE PHOTO: Learners at Napo Elementary School in Barangay Napo, Linamon, Lanao del Norte are separated with makeshift cubicles as face-to-face classes start on Monday, November 15, 2021. DIVINA M. SUSON

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) will release after August 15 the complete guidelines for the return of full five-day face-to-face classes for School Year 2022-2023, an official said Tuesday.

DepEd spokesman Michael Tan Poa said they are still fine-tuning details for the conduct of the five-day in-person classes and it should be finished by August 15.

Full face-to-face classes are set to be implemented starting November 2.

“Sa ngayon, we are still fine-tuning the details until August 15, maglalabas kami ng full details doon sa pagbabalik eskwela natin kung saan i-a-address din namin ‘yung mga tanong na ‘yan,” he said in an interview over ABS CBN News Channel on Tuesday.

(For now, we are still fine-tuning the details until August 15. We will release full details of the opening of classes where we will address such issues.)

He was answering a query on what the protocol will be if a child has already enrolled for distance learning in the Philippines but currently resides abroad.

Poa also said DepEd is still determining specific exceptions it will grant for schools that could not implement full face-to-face classes by November 2.

READ: School year 2022-2023 to start August 22 — DepEd

But he clarified that the general rule remains that all schools implement face-to-face classes starting November 2.

“Ang general rule natin is in-person talaga, mayroon lang sigurong mga exemptions kung hindi talaga kaya na in-person, doon lang tayo papayag sa blended learning,” Poa said.

(The general rule is we will implement in-person classes. There may be exemptions if the school cannot implement in-person classes, then maybe we can allow blended learning.)

To help schools transition to full in-person classes, they may implement blended learning or even distance learning until October 31, Poa said.

KGA