The Department of Education (DepEd) has started to study the possible resumption of limited face-to-face classes in areas deemed “absolutely safe” in the wake of the breakthrough in the development of the coronavirus vaccine abroad.
Education Secretary Leonor Briones, however, quickly clarified that in-person classes would not definitely resume this year.
“We are studying that possibility but definitely not this year and definitely not until the President (Duterte) makes a pronouncement,” Briones said during a televised Palace press briefing Tuesday.
“Klaro naman kung magkaroon ng (It is clear that if there will be) face-to-face (classes), it will be very limited to areas which are absolutely safe. There will be conditions from the Department of Health. There will also be conditions coming from us,” she added.
Briones said they would have to get clearance from the health department and the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Infectious Diseases (IATF) on the matter. She insisted that any future resumption of face-to-face classes must be “very selective” to ensure the health and safety of students.
“If there are areas where it’s safe and we’ll get clearance from the Department of Health and the IATF, kasi sila ang nag-a-asses ng health situation. At saka depende sa approach iyan kasi iyong number of students, etc (because they asses the health situation and it depends on the approach, the number of students etc.) so we are now looking into that,” she said.
At present, Briones maintained that face-to-face classes are not allowed upon the orders of the President. In lieu of in-person classes, the government has promoted alternative learning methods, including modular and online instruction, this school year to protect the students from the coronavirus infection.
Briones said they intend to submit a report to the President on the implementation of the present distance learning method.
“Walang mga arrangements right now with kung sinumang mga grupo na magpi-face-to-face at this time because the President has not made any pronouncement at all. Pero magri-report kami sa kanya (There are no arrangements right now with any group to hold face-to-face classes at this time because the President has not made any pronouncement at all. But we will report to him),” she said.
In the same Palace press briefing, Briones distanced herself from the community learning hub launched by the Office of the Vice President (OVP).
The OVP project, which provides a place for learning for students who lack gadgets or internet, was opened in Pasig City last month. Similar learning hubs are reportedly being planned in other places.
When the OVP presented the project last August, Briones said DepEd did not allow the proposal due to the President's existing directive against face-to-face classes.
“Dahil sinusunod namin ang utos ng Presidente, hindi natin iyan ina-allow kasi wala naman sa authority ng DepEd na mag-anunsiyo ng ganoong klase na iri-reverse natin ang sinasabi ng Presidente (Because we follow the President's directive, we did not allow it because DepEd has no authority to announce such kind of class that will reverse the President's statement),” she said.
The OVP instead reached out to some local government units to implement the program, according to Briones.
“Sa Pasig, nag-coordinate sila directly with the LGU in Pasig pero one-on-one dahil hindi naman in-approve ng ating Division Superintendent iyon (In Pasig, they coordinated with the lgu in Pasig but it is one-on-one because our division superintendent did not approve it),” she said.
He said the OVP project did not push through in Caloocan after failing to get the approval of the division superintendent in the area. In Taytay, Rizal, she said OVP coordinated with the barangay but the education department was not involved in the project.
“Hindi involved ang Department of Education kasi on record, walang ganoong klaseng kasunduan, walang ganoong klaseng approval at nananatili pa rin ang policy ng ating Presidente na walang face-to-face sessions ang mga bata sa ngayon, samantalang wala pa tayong vaccine. Iyan ay still enforced at sinusunod ng DepEd iyan (The Department of Education, on record, is not involved as there is no agreement, there is no such approval and the President’s policy of no face-to-face classes for students remains while we don’t have a vaccine. That is still enforced and followed by DepEd),” she said.
Briones made the remarks after Presidential spokesman Harry Roque inquired about the supposed joint education project between DepEd and the Vice President during the press conference. He asked her if it was true the DepEd allowed the OVP project that allows face-to-face classes for six students.
“Mayroon ba ho itong katotohanan dahil ang alam ko po bawal pa rin ang face-to-face classes hanggang bigyan ng okay ng ating Presidente (Is there a truth in this? because I know face-to-face classes are prohibited until the President gives his okay),” Roque said in apparent swipe at the Vice President.