Prioritize teachers’ training, DepEd asked
The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) on Monday asked the Department of Education (DepEd) to prioritize the training of teachers and orienting parents as it prepares the whole system for school year 2020-2021.
“The scheduled reopening of classes (24 August) is less than a week from 18 August, the initial target date to end the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ),” Benjo Basas, the group’s national chairman, said in a statement.
The group also asked DepEd to strictly observe work from home set up in areas under MECQ.
“The appeal from several groups of health professionals to revert to a stricter quarantine category and the response of the Malacañang to put Metro Manila and nearby provinces under MECQ attest to the fact that this COVID-19 pandemic is far from being controlled. It also says that everybody needs to contribute to minimize the movement of the people to prevent the further spread of the disease,” Basas said.
The group also asked DepEd to strictly observe work from home set up in areas under.
Over the weekend, the Philippines recorded a total of more than over 100,000 cases and ranked 10th in the whole of Asia, even surpassing China.
“There are also confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection in DepEd personnel which attributed to the performance of their tasks in schools or offices,” Basas noted.
The TDC called on the DepEd management to stand firm by its own directive contained in DepEd Order 11, s. 2020 that teachers, as long as practicable should render their tasks at home and the option for physical or onsite reporting is discouraged and may only be used in exceptional cases.