DepEd: 97.5% of public schools now doing five-day face-to-face classes

DepEd logo / AFP PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — A total of 97.5% of public schools nationwide have resumed implementing full five-day face-to-face classes, the Department of Education (DepEd) said Monday.

It also said that 2.36% of public schools were allowed to continue implementing blended learning as some of them were affected by Severe Tropical Storm Paeng (international name: Nalgae).

So far, DepEd spokesperson Atty. Michael Poa said no significant incidents were recorded in schools conducting in-person classes.

“97.5% po ng lahat ng public schools ay nag-implement na po ng five-day in person classes, sa blended learning, around 2.36%, ito pong blended learning ay moving number, hindi po siya definite figure,” he said in a press conference.

(97.5% of public schools have implemented the five-day in-person classes while blended learning has around 2.36%, which is a moving number, not a definite figure.)

Poa also explained that some schools remain on blended learning as their facilities are either still being used as evacuation centers or undergoing clean-up operations.

Citing data submitted to DepEd, Poa noted that 435 schools are still being used as evacuation centers and 324 up for repairs, while the rest were being cleared as of November 6.

“’Yung mga areas natin, ito ‘yung mga schools that were affected by the recent typhoon, since itong mga ito ginagamit pa either as evacuation centers or dahil nags-state ng infrastructure damage or isinasagawa pa ‘yung clean up, hindi pa natin maibabalik ‘yung mga learners sa school,” he added.

(These are schools that were affected by the recent typhoon since it is still being used as either evacuation centers or have infrastructure damage or still being cleaned up, that we still cannot let learners go back to these schools.)

“Once na malinis na ‘yung mga school at ligtas na para bumalik ang ating mga learners, they will go back to in-person classes,” Poa stated.

(Once the school is clean and safe for learners to return, they will go back to in-person classes.)

DepEd said it has already contacted local government units for possible decamping in schools that have been utilized as evacuation centers for the victims of Paeng.

All public schools have been mandated to return to five-day face-to-face classes starting November 2 while private schools were allowed to conduct blended or online classes.–Alyssa Joy Quevedo, trainee

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