(FILE) An in-person class at the Pedro Cruz Elementary School in San Juan City. (Photo by GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Updated 4:02 p.m.
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) is continuing to review blended learning as a permanent mode of instruction, according to Vice President Sara Duterte, as the School Year 2022-2023 nears and with COVID-19 still impacting the country.
The Vice President concurrently sits as Education Secretary.
“Consequently, as part of the transition to in-person classes, blended learning shall still be implemented, and we are continuing to study the implementation of blended learning as a permanent mode of instruction for basic education,” she said during the Senate committee on basic education hearing on Friday.
“However, come November 2, the full implementation of five days of in-person classes is expected as well for all public and private schools,” she added.
Revsee Escobedo, undersecretary of the DepEd, said the first two weeks of school would be dedicated to psychosocial activities.
A blended learning system will be implemented to ensure all children’s continued safety if a student in one classroom contracts COVID-19.
Learners will only return to their classrooms after the school’s management has evaluated the situation to be safe.
“Ibig sabihin, isasara pansamantala ‘yung eskwelahan o classroom na ‘yun hanggat sa matiyak natin na safe na uli silang bumalik ng paaralan,” he said in the same hearing.
(It means that the school or classroom will be temporarily closed until we ensure it is safe to return to school.)
Medium of instruction
Meanwhile, DepEd Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III said they propose using English and Filipino as the medium of instruction in classes. The mother tongue will be an auxiliary language.
“I also agree that for purposes of teaching, while we propose the medium of instruction should be in English and Filipino, the local vernacular should be supplementary or an auxiliary language to emphasize the teaching points of the teacher to the learner,” he said.
Densing assured students that in-person classes would proceed regardless of the COVID-19 alert level.