18 private schools start face-to-face class pilot implementation

MANILA, Philippines — Some 18 private schools started the rollout of face-to-face classes under the Department of Education (DepEd)’s effort to pilot the implementation of a gradual return to classroom learning.

The number of private schools that rolled out face-to-face classes was less two schools Singapore School Clark and Xavier University Senior High School – that were in the original list of 20 private schools joining the pilot among private sector institutions.

Joyce Andaya, DepEd Bureau of Curriculum Development director who led the inspection of face-to-face classes yesterday, said the two schools had deferred due to their different academic calendar.

Andaya praised the participating private schools for their apparent readiness to start the pilot of face-to-face classes.

“I’ve seen the readiness of our schools and the cooperation between schools and their local governments to undertake these pilot test of face-to-face classes,” Andaya said in a statement in Filipino.

Joseph Noel Estrada, managing director of the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA), for his part, said that more private schools are keen to also do their own rollout of face-to-face classes under the pandemic new normal.

He said that of the 20 private schools approved to join the pilot implementation of face-to-face classes, three are members of COCOPEA.

“Of course, we will see what will happen first with this pilot testing so that we can prepare for the next phase,” Estrada said in Filipino in an interview at the Laging Handa virtual press briefer yesterday.

“We are monitoring it. We asked DepEd to allow us to join their rounds even just virtually or provide us access to their monitoring so we can see their actual implementation, not only on the 20 private schools, but also the participating public schools so we can also get some inputs and make informed suggestions on possible changes when it comes to the expanded phase,” Estrada said.

“Definitely, many are waiting once the implementation expands to other regions, especially in the urban areas,” Estrada said. “We are just waiting for a directive and the proper guidelines from DepEd, and I think many of our schools will start also inquiring and applying as soon as it becomes available.”