Rainy school opening today for 24 million students
It will be a rainy opening day of classes today for the country’s 24 million students in public elementary and secondary schools.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said warm and humid weather conditions with chances of isolated rain showers and thunderstorms will prevail mostly in the afternoon or evening over the country at the start of classes today. However, it said it does not expect the development of a tropical cyclone to enter the Philippine area of responsibility.
Malacañang has assured that the safe and orderly opening of classes this week is the ultimate goal of the government upon the orders of President Aquino.
“In compliance with the orders of the President, all government agencies led by the Department of Education have stepped up preparations to ensure orderly, safe and peaceful opening of classes today,” Presidential Communications Operations Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said.
The Department of Educa-
tion (DepEd) said that around 24 million students from elementary and high school will return to 46,624 schools in various parts of the country.
Coloma said the Philippine National Police (PNP) would focus on ensuring the safety of the students while the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has deployed 800 personnel to deal with traffic management on the opening of classes.
K-to-12 kicks off The class opening today also marks the formal start of the K-to-12 program, one of the administration’s reform programs to provide better education for students.
“With the K-to-12 program, students can be better prepared and skilled to gain jobs or start their own businesses,” Coloma said.
President Aquino has declared the government’s readiness to implement the program that adds two years to basic education, citing adequate funds for new classrooms, textbooks, and teachers.
Aquino also defended that the K to 12 program should not be considered a burden since it will enhance the competitiveness of Filipino graduates and empower to have a better life in the future.
Rains, earthquake fears The ridge of high pressure area or anti-cyclone system will bring partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated thunderstorms during the opening of classes today. Light to moderate winds coming from the south to southwest will prevail over Luzon. Meanwhile, winds will blow from southeast over the rest of the country.
PAGASA said the coastal waters throughout the archipelago will be slight to moderate except during thunderstorms.
The country is currently experiencing a seasonal climate transition from dry to rainy season manifested by warm and humid condition associated with frequent rain showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon or evening.
Likewise, once the prevailing wind pattern becomes southwesterly, this will signal the beginning of the rainy season, particularly over the western part of the country.
The amount of rainfall is also one of the indicators for the beginning of the rainy season. Rainfall is measured for five consecutive days in one field synaptic station located in different parts of the country, which must register a total of 25 millimeters or more. Three out of the five days, rainfall must not be lower than one-millimeter per day.
Field synaptic stations are located in Laoag (Ilocos Norte), Vigan (Ilocos Sur), Iba (Zambales), Dagupan (Pangasinan), San Jose (Mindoro), Ambulong (Mindoro), Iloilo, and Metro Manila.
On concerns that some schools are situated on top of West Valley Fault (WVF) that is supposedly ripe for a powerful earthquake, Coloma said the education department continues to coordinate with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (NDRMMC) and local governments to inspect the structural safety of these buildings.
Contingency measures have earlier been put in place by DepED for schools that may be affected by the WVF. Education Secretary Armin Luistro said school buildings that lie directly at the WVF will not be used as part of preparations for a 7.2 magnitude quake that can rock Metro Manila and nearby provinces. Students will instead be transferred to other classrooms safe from any tremor.
‘Balik Eskwela 2015’ Education Secretary Armin Luistro said that the Department has done all the necessary preparations to help ensure that school opening this year will be as smooth and as orderly as possible. The DepEd projected enrolment for SY 2015-2016 is 20,663,218 with 1,847,406 in kinder; 12,833,717 in elementary; and 5,982,095 in secondary schools. DepEd is also expecting around three million enrollees in private kinder, elementary and secondary schools based on enrolment figures last SY 2014-2015 which was recorded at 2,931,309.
DepEd has reactivated the “Oplan Balik Eskwela 2015” to ensure that the public will get the assistance it needs related to the opening of classes.To ensure a smooth and organized school opening, DepEd has also established the OBEInformation and Action Center Task Force (IAC) that will provide helpful information, handle complaints and serve as a routing mechanism to students, parents, and teachers nationwide,” Luistro said. It will be open from May 25 to June 5, including Saturday and Sunday, from 7a.m.-6p.m., at the Bulwagan ng Karunungan, DepEd Complex, Meralco Avenue, Pasig City.
Protests to greet school opening
Meanwhile, a group of teachers vowed to greet the opening of classes with protests to show their opposition to the K-to-12 Program and urge the government to address “unsolved” shortages of teachers, classrooms and facilities in public schools.
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) on Sunday also held a fun run dubbed “Run for Quality Education” at the Quezon Memorial Circle to reiterate their teachers’ demand for higher budgetary allocations for education, salary increase and junking of the K-to-12.
ACT Deputy Secretary-General Vladimer Quetua said that they have “provided concrete and valid points against the K-to-12” but DepEd and President Aquino continue to insist their readiness to implement the program. Caloocan’s 80 schools ready
Caloocan Mayor Oscar Malapitan assured that the 80 public schools in Caloocan are ready for the first day of opening of classes today.
“Lesser problems will now be encountered in the opening of classes in 80 public schools in Caloocan, as the campuses are now clean, broken chairs are now fixed, roof gutters are now free of debris, and broken windows, doors and ceilings are fixed,” Malapitan said.
The mayor hailed the spirit of volunteerism of parents, residents and city employees in doing the back-breaking task of preparing the schools for the influx of students.
Navotas backs K-to-12
While there are sectors that oppose the implementation of the K to12 program of the DepEd, Navotas Mayor John Rey Tiangco expressed otherwise saying the city is “united and ready to implement it.”
“If there are those which opposed the K-to-12 program for whatever reasons, here in Navotas it is being planned by the local officials for implementation in support to our government,” Tiangco said.
The city mayor also said that all schools in Navotas are now ready for the school opening today just like in previous years whenever the classes starts. (With reports from Merlina Hernando-Malipot, Chito A. Chavez and Ed Mahilum)