Enrolment to push through on June 1

MALACAÑANG on Wednesday said enrollment in public schools for school year 2020-2021 would push through on June 1 despite President Rodrigo Duterte’s opposition to the physical opening of classes until a vaccine for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) has been found.

Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said formal learning would definitely resume on August 24, but it might not be in the traditional way.

“What is certain is by August 24, formal learning will resume — possibly not face to face, but definitely blended. We will never expose our children to any form of danger,” Roque said in an interview with ABS- CBN News Channel.

“Enrollment will proceed because whether it be face to face or blended, you have to enroll your children because there has to be a basis for assessing whether or not your children will progress to the next level,” he added.

Upon the order of the President, Roque explained that schools would

remain shut “as long as there is community quarantine.”

He said the Department of Education (DepEd) would have to prepare for “blended learning” in case the new normal is not reached.

“We are also preparing for what is known as blended learning. Blended learning is not just online because we recognize that although we’re one of those in the 17th Congress that pushed for libreng Wi- Fi, there are still far- flung areas without Wi- Fi,” said Roque, a former lawmaker.

In addition to online classes, Roque said community radio and television stations, PTV4, and even private television companies would be tapped for “instructional purposes.”

“This is a bold move on the part of the Department of Education. We haven’t done it on this scale but we have to adapt with the times in the same way the media has adapted to the times that we’re both broadcasting from our homes,” he said.

Roque explained that blended learning might also involve small meetings for assessment or enforcement purposes.

“That’s why it’s called blended, we can be creative about it,” the Palace official added.

Special schools with at most 15 students in each class would have to seek accreditation from the DepEd before they open classes.

For private schools that have few students, Roque said it would be a matter of getting accreditation from the DepEd.

“If it’s special learning, which really has only about 15 students, I see no reason or obstacles for the DepEd not to allow it. But there will have to be an accreditation process,” he said.

The Education department earlier said the next school year would open on Aug. 24, 2020 and end on April 30, 2021.

Education Secretary Leonor Briones issued a department order setting the school enrollment from June 1 to 30.

Meanwhile, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture, sponsored on May 26 a bill pushing for the school opening beyond August.

Senate Bill 1541, which amends Section 3 of Republic Act 7797 or “An Act to Lengthen the School Calendar from Two Hundred (200) Days to Not More Than Two Hundred Twenty (220) Class Days” has reached the Senate floor.

The proposed amendment will allow the President to set a different date for the start of the school year nationwide or in selected areas when a state of emergency is declared. The date of the postponed class opening will be based on the recommendation of the Education Secretary.

Gatchalian said the enactment of the measure into law before the opening of classes will give

DepEd more flexibility should the country’s public health situation and future calamities further delay class openings.

“Sap am a mag it anng panuka lang na tin an gm ga pa ar al ann gm as ma ha bang pa na ho nu pang sig ur uh in mag-aaral,guro,at ka waning mg a pa ar alan. Bag am a’ than gar in edukasyon, ang kali gt asa nat k al us ug an par in an gating pang una hing pan de my an gating kin aka ha rap (With this proposed legislation, we could provide the schools with sufficient time in ensuring the safety of every student, teacher, and school employees. While our intention is to continue education, the safety and health are still our foremost priority amid the pandemic we are facing),” said Gatchalian, who is also a co-author of the measure.