Face-to-face classes a go
IN AREAS WHERE COVID CASES ARE LOW
The national government has allowed limited face-to-face classes for primary education to resume in select regions in the Philippines, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque announced on Monday, September 20.
President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the resumption of in-person classes in areas with low numbers of COVID-19 infections.
No target date has been set but Education Secretary Leonor Briones said the transition may happen soon.
“Right now, hindi pa kami makabigay ng exact date dahil ngayon lang namin nalaman na may desisyon na ang Presidente. Pero i-implement namin agad dahil alam na namin yung 100 schools and we are reviewing the 20 private schools,” Briones said on Monday.
She said the final list of schools will be released soon.
Dep-Ed Central Visayas has submitted a list of 52 schools that it believes can implement the scheme. Twenty-eight of these schools are in Cebu.
“Mao na ang akoa pang gipaabot kay 52 schools to ang gi-propose for Central Visayas and, at that time, mga 600 schools man to nationwide. Pero karon nga 120 schools ra nationwide, wala pa ko kadawat og list kung unsa nga mga schools in Central Visayas ang i-allow for the limited face-to-face classes,” said DepEd-7 Director Salustiano Jimenez.
INITIAL GUIDELINES
Rules will have to be observed to ensure the safety of students and teachers once in-campus learning returns. The classes will be monitored carefully and measured.
Briones said DepEd and the Department of Health (DOH) have developed an initial list of guidelines, which will be finalized in the coming days.
What is certain, however, is that classes will observe stringent health standards and extreme precautions, and that the schools that will be allowed must be located in ‘minimal risk’ areas and passed readiness assessment.
As far as class size is concerned, Briones said they are looking at 12 learners per classroom for Kindergarten, 16 learners per classroom for Grade 1 to 3, and 20 learners per classroom for technicalvocational schools.
On teaching and learning approaches, DepEd is looking at a maximum of three hours for those from Kindergarten to Grade 3 and a maximum of four hours for those in senior high school. Classes will be done in alternating weeks and through blended learning.
Jimenez explained the initial rule:
“Walay klase from Kinder to Senior High School nga every day ug eight hours a day. Limited ra gyud ang students in a class, as well as the number of school days and the number of hours they will be staying in school.”
In a 25-person class in Kindergarten, for example, only 12 or 13 kids will be allowed inside the classroom on Mondays and Tuesdays and another batch will take their place on Thursdays and Fridays. Wednesdays can be given to teachers to prepare for classes.
Senior High School students will have another arrangement.
“For example, sa usa ka Senior High School class nga naay 50 students, this will be divided into four or 12 per class. Unya, once a week ra ilang klase and for difficult subjects only,” Jimenez said.
He said the final guidelines and list of schools may be released on Wednesday, September 22, during DepEd’s regular meeting with regional directors.
Briones said the shift to limited face-to-face classes will be a shared responsibility of DepEd, DOH, local government units, and parents.
Concurrence of the LGU and parents will be required.
She said there will be a two-month pilot period, which will be assessed moving forward.
Briones said the implementation of limited face-to-face classes will give them a ground experience on the operationalization and effectiveness of the protocols and contingency measures should there be cases of exposure or infections; the identification of difficulties and gaps for
operational refinements; and the assessment of the benefits of the blending of face-to-face classes with distance learning in terms of learning delivery and outcomes.
SUPPORT
In Manila, Senator Imee Marcos is backing the shift to face-to-face classes as soon as possible, calling another school year of distance learning as “unsustainable”.
“The numbing effect of prolonged distance learning has transformed once cheerful kids, doting moms, and exuberant teachers into ghosts of their former selves – vampire moms and mentors,” Marcos said in a statement.
She said distance learning is a stop-gap measure, not a long-term solution for education should the pandemic endure.
“Students are at risk of being part of a whole generation that could lose its love of learning, optimism, ambition, and even productivity. Our mothers and teachers also need to gain back their work-life balance,” Marcos said.
Marcos added that the strict observance of ‘new normal’ rules of behavior may be a little more challenging but doable. These include proper wearing of face masks at all times, teachers keeping a safe distance when explaining new lessons, staying in quarantine for the prescribed period if a student or family member gets sick, and limiting interaction to within assigned groups or “student bubbles” so that possible spreaders can be isolated more easily and schools don’t need to shut down.