The Department of Education (DepEd) on Monday (Sep. 13) officially opened the school year 2021-2022.
In a virtual program, DepEd Sec. Leonor Briones expressed her gratitude towards the “success in opening classes for the second year in the time of COVID.”
“Last year, I declared victory with the opening of classes on October 5, 2020. Today, September 13, 2021, DepEd celebrates with great joy its success in opening classes for the second year in the time of COVID. We opened classes last year. We successfully ended them. Now we are opening another school year. Isn’t that success worthy of celebration in the light of all our challenges?”
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte also lauded the department in pushing to provide quality education amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“To our dear teachers, I hope that you’ll remain dedicated to your sworn profession and lead more of our young citizens towards a better and brighter future. I wish you good luck and mabuhay kayong lahat.”
Meanwhile, the Teachers’ Dignity Coalition believes that the “system is not prepared for the opening of classes,” but the teachers will still comply with the department.
“We believe that the system is not prepared for the opening of classes, however our teachers will comply. We, therefore, appeal to the DepEd leadership to call for a genuine consultation with all stakeholders, including but not limited to, the teachers sector.”
The group appealed to the DepEd to consult the said matter with the stakeholders including the teachers’ group.
However, Briones responded that they are “as ready as ready can be.”
“We are as ready as ready can be…We have learned it’s not as if we would repeat again and again and again the same situation which we have dealt with last year.”
In the recent data of DepEd, more than 24.6 million students have enrolled for SY 2021-2022, but it can still increase since the enrollment was extended until Sep. 30.
Report from Kenneth Paciente/NGS-rir
