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DepEd ready for pilot in-person classes

Romina Cabrera - The Philippine Star
This content was originally published by The Philippine Star following its editorial guidelines. Philstar.com hosts its content but has no editorial control over it.
DepEd ready for pilot in-person classes
Staff of Dagat Dagatan Elementary School in Navotas City prepare the classroom and other materials needed on Sept. 16, 2021 once the government allows the resumption of face-to-face classes.
The STAR / Geremy Pintolo, file

MANILA, Philippines — After over a year and a half since the pandemic broke out, the Department of Education (DepEd) is all set for the return of limited face-to-face classes this month.

Education Secretary Leonor Briones said the 100 identified public schools are ready for the pilot study on the resumption of in-person classes starting Nov. 15, while that in private schools will start the following week.

“Good news that we can finally resume limited face-to-face classes as discussed and upon the instruction of the President, we start with 100 public and 20 private schools and some international schools,” Briones said yesterday during the Laging Handa virtual briefing.

Briones expressed optimism that the pilot study would be successful and the face-to-face learning could be expanded to more schools soon, even in Metro Manila.

Briones said the government, particularly DepEd and the Department of Health, has put protocols and measures in place to assure the safety of children who will participate in the return of in-person classes.

This includes continuous risk assessments, facility inspections and the required consent of local government units and parents.

“No country in the world has put out such a stringent and strict requirement for face-to-face classes, particularly the consent of parents,” Briones said.

DepEd initially identified about 1,900 schools that could participate in the pilot study but this was eventually reduced to the current 100.

Briones gave assurance that all schools involved in the pilot study underwent proper evaluation in terms of their facilities.

There are 57 private schools that submitted their application for evaluation to join the study.

DepEd said it achieved a very high vaccination rate for teachers nationwide, especially for schools that would participate in the pilot study.

As this developed, the agency requested the grant of internet cash allowance for teachers that would  require an P18-billion budget to support blended learning in the wake of the pandemic.

DepEd said it requested the Commission on Audit and the Department of Budget and Management to grant the internet allowance in cash.

Despite calls by teachers groups, DepEd said there is currently no legal basis or funds to cover the monthly internet and connectivity allowance for teachers.

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) urged DepEd to follow through on Malacañang’s pronouncement that it would initiate a dialogue on internet allowance.

The group said its request for dialogue was previously rejected by DepEd, even as it submitted a petition for a P1,500 monthly internet allowance that was signed by over 15,000 public school teachers.

Minors’ vaccination starts

Meanwhile, the vaccination of minors aged 12 to 17 years and without comorbidities started yesterday, according to the Department of Health (DOH).

Speaking at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the pediatric vaccination has been expanded to include minors without existing medical conditions.

“That’s about 12.7 million population… We need to jab at least 80 percent of the population of 12 to 17 years old by yearend,” Duque said.

On Oct. 15, the government started inoculating minors with comorbidities.

Health Undersecretary and National Vaccination Operations Center head Myrna Cabotaje urged families to get jabbed together as the vaccination was opened to more sectors.

“We have already allowed the opening to the rest of the adult population. So whole families can start getting vaccinated,” Cabotaje said.

She said the DOH is hoping that with families getting the shots together, senior citizens will be encouraged to get vaccinated.

“If the whole family is vaccinated, then they are all protected,” she said. – Sheila Crisostomo

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