By Warren Elijah E. Valdez
DAVAO CITY - The city government is planning to request from the Department of Education (DepEd) to allow schools to open the new school year amid the implemented quarantine measures due to COVID-19.
Mayor Sara Duterte (Facebook / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Mayor Sara Duterte said, in a radio interview with the UNTV News and Rescue, that they were planning to coordinate with DepEd for the opening of school year 2020 to 2021.
“Because we see that the opening of the school year should not be delayed because we do not know when the children can go back to school,” she said.
“If we delay it by September, October or November, we do not know what will happen on September, October, and November,” Duterte added.
She said this was the reason why schools should also find ways to open the school year for 2020 to 2021 by means of having online classes, if not, through distance learning or home schooling with a modular program that does not require online interaction where parents can bring the necessary educational materials to their children at home.
“These are our suggestions to the schools for them not to delay the opening of school year because we do not know when situation will normalize and we do not want that the children will not be able to continue with their studies,” Duterte said.
“We want the children to be able to attend classes, opening of the school year but without them actually having the need to go to school,” she added.
The city mayor said the DepEd was also prepared to address those areas with primary concerns on how to avail of online classes.
“I have asked the assistant regional director (DepEd 11), and she said there are offline (learning) platforms they are making for the far flung barangays,” she said.
“Let us allow the schools to prepare and devise a way to open the school year where children do not need to go to school, but their classes will still resume even without having online platforms because there are also limitations in online classes and online platforms,” Duterte added.