The upcoming academic year may begin in August as the Department of Education (DepEd) said opening the school year in June will be difficult due to the preparations for the curriculum. “Nagfirst round na ang evaluation ng IATF evaluation… Siguro within this week or by Monday, mas firm na ‘yung recommendation ng IATF. ‘Yan (The IATF had its first round of evaluation. Maybe within this week or by Monday, the IATF recommendation will be more firm. It) will influence also the decision,” DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones explained.
“We have to operate within the parameters of the law, which is maski anong araw basta di ka lalampas sa last day of August (any day as long as it doesn’t go beyond the last day of August),” Briones added.
If travel restrictions continue due to the enhanced community quarantine, opening of classes may be done online or through television and radio.
DepEd USec. Annalyn Sevilla shared that there is a possibility of a “new normal”, Brigada Eskwela, in which new needs will be requested instead of paper notebooks. The final and major realignment in programs budget will depend on the final Learning Continuity Plan. The education department still aims to end the school year 2020-2021 in March while complying with the required number of school days. The move has pushed for the consideration of Saturday classes. – Report from Mica Joson
