Duterte gives go signal for face-to-face classes dry run in low risk areas
MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Monday announced the approval of a test run for in-person learning in certain schools under areas with low coronavirus transmission.
The Duterte administration's decision puts progress on the monthslong debate on the conduct of classes amid the pandemic, as challenges continue to hound the distance learning setup that was put in place as an alternative.
Cabinet agreed to the education department's proposal that would take place for the whole January of next year to President Rodrigo Duterte in a meeting tonight, per an alert sent to reporters.
There are more than 25 million Filipino students enrolled in the present school year that was forced to be held in their homes under distance learning.
Duterte himself shunned holding physical classes until a vaccine for COVID-19 has been made available.
"The pilot shall be done under strict health and safety measures," said Palace spokesman Harry Roque, "and where there is commitment for shared responsibility among DepEd, local government units and parents."
The dry-run, Roque added, will not be required and will only cover students and parents who would participate.
Those who would be attending face-to-face classes would also need to turn in a parent's permit.
Distance learning began in October despite calls from groups to postpone, as they cited difficulties such as access to internet connection, gadget availability, and errors in learning resources, would leave many students behind. DepEd had tapped TV, radio and the internet as platforms for the said efforts, apart from printed modules which it has said is costly.
This year's enrollment figures is two million short of the number of students in schools in 2019, and a significant increase in transfer from private to public schools was seen as well.
Education officials have yet to issue a statement on the development. But the department has said that once approved by the president, physical classes would be subject to standards set by the health department.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III has said he is for the move but only in areas with low to no coronavirus cases at all, which he said, would mean that only the Batanes province would be allowed.
But Duterte's Interior chief Eduardo Año had differed from calls for its return, cautioning that with more than a thousand infections still being reported per day, resuming physical classes could spell trouble.
"You’re quick to recommend it, but it would turn out you don’t have a responsibility for that,” he said in a radio interview. “Should there be a spike, would you be the one treating (those infected)? Would you be the one shouldering the costs? Second, who will be held accountable?” — with a report from Maricel Halili/News5
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