Over 7,000 schools cancel F2F classes

The number of schools that suspended face-to-face classes due to extreme heat continues to increase.

Department of Education (Deped) data as of Friday, April 12, showed that 7,080 out of 46,678 schools nationwide shifted to Alternative Delivery Modes (ADMS) due to the suspension of onsite classes brought about by the scorching heat.

Due to the hot weather, Deped said several schools in the Ilocos region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon (Calabarzon); Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan); Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao region, Soccsksargen (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General Santos), Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), and the National Capital Region (NCR) suspended face-toface classes and transitioned to ADMS.

Classes were not suspended in the Caraga region.

Central Luzon had the highest number of schools that shifted to ADM with 1,903, followed by Region 6 with 862 and Region 7 with 862.

Seven-hundred thirteen schools implemented ADMS in Region 1, Region 2 (90), Region 4-A (264), Region 4-B (268), Region 5 (664), Region 8 (164), Region 9 (230), Region 10 (11), Region 11 (75), Region 12 (488), CAR (167), and NCR (311).

The Deped reiterated that school heads remain in the best position to assess the learning environment on the ground more accurately.

Based on the assessment of the school heads, Deped said schools may switch to ADMS.

Deped Order No. 21, Series of 2019, refers to ADM as instructional or learning modalities that do not strictly follow the typical setup for regular classroom instruction but follow the K-to-12 curriculum in content.

The education agency said it is already an established policy that schools may switch to ADM in the event of man-made or natural disasters, including weather disturbances.

“Kaya po hindi nag-bla-blanket suspension due to heat is because iba-iba po ang situation ng 47,000 public schools across the country (The reason why there is no blanket suspension of classes due to heat is because the situations vary for the 47,000 public schools across the country),” Deped Undersecretary and Spokesperson Michael Poa said.