The Department of Education (DepEd) will only allow the conduct of face-to-face (F2F) classes after the approval of President Rodrigo Duterte and the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).
This is the pronouncement of Secretary Leonor Briones in a virtual press briefing in Malacañang, clarifying that no face-to-face classes is still the standing policy of the government.
“Hanggang ngayon, iyon ang policy [no face-to-face classes] ng President [at] hindi pa niya binabago,” Briones stressed.
DepEd, though, is studying the possibility of conducting limited face-to-face classes for next year, upon the greenlight from the Office of the President.
“In case we conduct face to face (classes), it will be very limited to areas which are absolutely safe and there will be conditions.”
“We are preparing a report for the President on our current experience with the opening of classes, at klaro naman na kung magkaroon ng face to face, it will be very limited to areas which are absolutely safe, there will be conditions from the Department of Health; there will also be conditions coming from us. Hindi po lahat-lahat, [hindi] sabay-sabay iyan na mag-face to face, kung payag si President,” the education chief clarified.
The education head also emphasized that the clearance would come from the Department of Health and the said national COVID-19 task force since these bureaus are responsible for the assessment of the health situation in areas around the Philippines.
“At saka, depende sa approach iyan kasi iyong number of students, etc. So, we are [also] now looking into that. But uulitin ko, definitely not this year at definitely walang mga arrangements right now with kung sinumang mga grupo na magpi-face to face at this time because the President has not made any pronouncement at all. Pero [patuloy kaming] magri-report kami sa kaniya,” she noted.
Meanwhile, after consulting education stakeholders, the Department is set to give an updated report on the opening of classes last October 5, 2020.
“I directed a study on reconceptualizing learning spaces post-COVID.”
Meanwhile, Briones also directed a study on reconceptualizing learning spaces post-COVID, which include not just classroom, but homes, community spaces, and virtual space.
During the press briefing, she also reported on the assistance for private Schools/private school teachers, provision of supplementary learning materials to typhoon-hit provinces, and school calendar adjustments.