By Pearl Gumapos
Department of Education (DepEd) Sec. Leonor Briones on Monday (Sept. 20) announced that President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the pilot implementation of face-to-face classes in low-risk areas.
“Straight from the Office of the President, in-approve na ni President ang pag-initiate ng pilot classes para sa face-to-face,” Briones said during a Malacañang public briefing.
The guidelines for the conduct of pilot face-to-face classes were jointly developed by DepEd and the Department of Health (DOH).
“Kailangan, numero uno, papasa sa safety assessment ng DepEd ang lugar kung saan tayo mag-hold ng face-to-face classes. Pangalawa, kailangan pumayag ang local governments dahil sila ang magho-host ng pilot classes na ito,” Briones said.
“Pangatlo, kailangang may written consent ng parents na papayag sila na iyong kanilang anak ay sasali sa pilot [face-to-face] classes. Pang-apat, ang facilities ng DepEd ay kailangang handa para sa requirements of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) and DOH,” she said.
The pilot will only allow 100 public schools and 20 private schools to join.
These schools should be located in minimal-risk areas based on the criteria set by the DOH and must pass the safety assessment using the school safety assessment tool of DepEd, and have the support of the local government unit in the form of a resolution or letter of support.
According to Briones, while the public schools have already undergone a selection process, the private school participants will still undergo selection.
The pilot will be conducted with a combination of face-to-face classes in school and distance learning modalities for two months.
Face-to-face classes shall be conducted half-day every other week, with participating schools ensuring that class schedules are arranged equitably so that all qualified learners have the opportunity to attend face-to-face classes. – bny
