School heads can suspend in-person classes due to heat – DepEd

MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Education (DepEd) on Thursday announced that school heads can decide whether tor not to suspend in-person classes due to a  high heat index based on Department Order 037 released in 2022.

“In light of the high heat index experienced in different parts of the country, the Department of Education (DepEd) reiterates the provisions of Department Order 037 issued in 2022, which provides guidelines on the cancellation or suspension of classes and work in schools in the event of natural disasters, power outages/power interruptions, and other calamities,” the DepEd said in a statement.

“Specifically, DepEd has given the school heads the authority and discretion to suspend the conduct of in-person classes and shift to alternative delivery modes (ADM) in cases of extreme heat and other calamities that may compromise the health and safety of learners, teachers, and non-teaching personnel,” it added.

In the past days, some local government units have suspended classes and shifted to ADM, such as online or asynchronous classes, due to high temperatures, which affect students’ learning. The DepEd added that learning communities should have localized assessments to respond to situations properly and to ensure that students learn.

“Given that DepEd supervises more than 47,000 schools nationwide, it is in the best interest of the learning community to have localized assessments for timely response and interventions to ensure the welfare of learners and personnel,” the DepEd said.