By Stephanie Sevillano | Philippine News Agency
The Department of Education (DepEd) said Tuesday it is eyeing a granular, school-level resumption of classes to prevent learning loss.
The plan comes as heavy monsoon rains and flooding forced 607 schools nationwide to suspend face-to-face classes as of Tuesday.
This is in line with the directives of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to ensure learners’ safety and quality education, alongside the prevention of learning loss.
In a statement, DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said a blanket class halt prompts “severe” disruption in basic education.
“While safety will always remain our non-negotiable priority, we can no longer rely on broad, blanket suspensions where an entire city shuts down even when individual campuses are dry, safe, and ready to teach,” Sec. Angara said.
The agency particularly seeks to update Executive Order (EO) 66, series of 2012, which governs automatic and localized class and work suspension in government offices during weather disturbances and calamities.
Under the proposed revisions, individual schools that remain safe or recover quickly from emergencies may resume in-person classes, even amid broader localized suspensions.
This, however, will still be subject to local government unit (LGU) concurrence and documented safety assessments.
“If a school is clear, accessible, and certified safe, our learners should be back in the classroom without delay,” Angara said.
This means individual public school heads can initiate class resumption based on a documented site-specific assessment, provided they receive concurrence from the local chief executive (LCE).
For private schools, class resumption may also be declared even amid city- or municipal-wide suspension, subject to close coordination with the LCE.
The proposed draft likewise establishes standardized rules for both class suspensions and resumptions for natural and human-induced hazards, including extreme heat, earthquakes, power outages, and poor air quality.
In terms of isolated campus-level hazards, school heads may still impose the original suspension of face-to-face classes, with the concurrence of their Schools Division Superintendent, in adherence to DepEd Order 22, s. 2024.
The DepEd expressed optimism that the President will approve the proposed measure before the end of the year.
