President Rodrigo Duterte recently approved the pilot test of limited face-to-face classes in areas with low cases of COVID-19 two months after the beginning of public school classes.
Data from asean.org show that the Philippines is the last nation to open schools and conduct face-to-face classes among ASEAN countries such as Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia.
Education Secretary Leonor Briones said in a recent interview that the pilot test of face-to-face classes in 2021 was recommended to President Duterte after gathering progress reports on the production of COVID-19 vaccine.
Recent data from the OCTA Research Group stated that the spread and reproduction rate of COVID-19 went down to .91 percent from November 30 to December 6, lower than the .92 percent figure from November 23 to 29.
“Itong recommendation na sinubmit namin sa presidente ay amin muna ‘yang idinulog sa IATF kung sang-ayon ba sila. Sabi nila, mabuti iyang pilot study at saka sabi nila mabuti rin na may parental consent (This recommendation that was submitted to the president was first sent to the IATF to seek support. They said it would be good, including the parental consent requirement),” Briones stated.
A study conducted by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) also showed that schools are not considered hotspots of COVID-19 infection.
“Pinakamababang source of infection ang school dahil gwardiyado ‘yun at lahat, 90 percent ay sa homes (Schools have the lowest source of infection because they are guarded, 90 percent are from homes),” she claimed.
The DepEd clarified that face-to-face classes will be voluntary on the part of learners and their guardians which will be limited to low-risk areas or those under MGCQ. There must also be a shared responsibility between the DepEd, local governments, and parents.
Facilities to be used are required to meet complete health standards and protocols. Class size will be adjusted to 15 to 20 students to ensure physical distancing. Depending on the instructional design, the proposed set-up may be conducted once or twice weekly.
The DepEd in Metro Manila said that there is a slim chance of conducting limited face-to-face classes in the region because it will be under GCQ until year’s end. That is why no schools from the National Capital Region (NCR) has been nominated yet to participate.
– Report from Sweeden Velado-Ramirez
