MANILA — The Department of Education (DepEd) recently clarified that make-up classes need not be conducted only on Saturdays.
“Make-up classes could be done by adding one to two hours per day in the class,” explained
Joyce Andaya, DepEd Bureau of Curriculum Division director.
She said the DepEd regional directors would find out how many hours are needed in their areas.
The DepEd also clarified that class cancellations are being decided by the national government (e.g. there’s a public holiday) and the local government units (LGUs).
DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones also cited that there are instances, for example, when there’s no typhoon signal but an LGU would declare class suspensions because of a flood in the area.
With the recent nationwide transport strike, the hosting of the 31st ASEAN Summit, and with the country being prone to typhoons, many schools have declared class cancellations.
Some parents think that class cancellations, except during typhoons, are a waste of time. Others think that their kids eventually suffer from make-up classes since these are usually held during weekends.
Lanie, a mom of a Grade 4 boy, thinks the time is wasted whenever there’s class cancellation.
“They (students) should have been in school, and they could have learned more,” she noted.
She is not in favor of such class cancellation as she thinks this is not good for the kids.
Marie Raquel feels the same way. “There were many days that my daughter experienced class cancellations due to typhoons. For weeks, she had to take make-up classes. Students, instead of being in school during those (days), had to catch up with the lessons,” she lamented.
She further said that kids these days would only play with their gadgets at home, so for her, it would be better if they are in school.
Since most schools conduct make-up classes after class suspensions, a 31-year-old mom, Lovely, said she doesn’t agree with this. “Saturday and Sunday is a family day. Also, kids are already used to not having classes during weekends,” she pointed out.
Lovely, who has a Grade 5 son, also commented that students would not know that there’s a transport strike, for instance, while they are inside their classrooms.
Meanwhile, for mom Glenda, cancellation of classes due to transport strike is only applicable to elementary, high school and college students, but not to those in the nursery, kinder and prep.
“Most of these students (nursery, kinder, prep) have their own school service (vehicles). Even some elementary schools have their school service,” she said. Another mom, Edna, also pointed out that kids, especially those who have a school service, are not affected by transport strike. “It was just a day wasted, especially because for schools that were about to conduct the examinations week,” Edna added.
Glenda also told PNA she thinks the class cancellations due to transport strike last month should only cover Metro Manila, and other provinces participating in transport strike.
She cited Cavite as an example, where not all areas participated in the strike.
“I think those who want to participate in the strike must enlist in the city hall or the municipal town. Then just base the class cancellations from there,” she pointed out.
The mom of two, however, appreciates that class cancellations would mean more rest for the parents. But Glenda, like other parents, also sees class cancellation as a day wasted since there are no remedial classes in her kids’ school. Her kids are now in elementary and kinder.
Working mom Joanne, on the other hand, is in favor of class cancellations to avoid the hassle, especially in students’ commute. She has a Grade 3 daughter.
Another mom, Mariz, is also in favor of class cancellations because according to her, students would just find a hard time to commute since most public utility vehicles are not available during a strike. (PNA)
