Perspective! Limited Face-to-Face Classes in the Context of COVID-19: DepEd Health and Safety Guidelines

MIRRIAM T. SIBAL

Allowing at-risk students and employees to remain at home and ensuring that any suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 are isolated immediately are crucial steps toward improving school safety. As a result, schools must implement continuing distance learning and continuity plans to help students and employees in and out of school due to illness or injury. If schools have to close for a short time to stop the virus from spreading, they might need to be ready to teach from home.

In reopened schools, learners and employees are subjected to health screenings daily. Temperature checks and reporting symptoms upon arrival before entering the building are among the health and safety rules. Students and staff are sent home promptly if they show any signs of the virus or report having come into contact with someone who is ill. Administrators must devise contingency plans for shutting down classrooms or schools if students or faculty contract COVID-19.

It requires learners to maintain 1-2 meters of separation in class and proposes that classrooms be separated into one or more stable groups when classes reopen. This has meant lowering the number of groups to 10 or 16 learners. At a time, personnel are only allowed to work with one or two classes at a time, and support staff assist teachers in covering the divided classes.

Schools will need to think about keeping learners and staff apart outside of class, especially during arrival and departure, mealtimes, breaks, and class changes.

To prevent having students and families gathering, schools are often urged to vary their start and end hours and provide defined class routes with several entrances. Except in the case of smaller grades, family members and visitors are not permitted on school grounds.

Social distancing tactics, as well as proper hygiene, cleaning, and quarantine, can help to decrease illness spread in schools. Let us put these techniques into action in many circumstances to safeguard the health and safety of students, faculty, and families.

--oOo-The author is Teacher III at Palao Elementary School, Solana West District, Schools Division of Cagayan