Education Secretary Leonor Briones said Friday that the Department of Education (DepEd) lacks authority when it comes to the Community Learning Hubs initiated by the Office of Vice President Leni Robredo.
During the televised “Laging Handa” public briefing, Briones said that the operations of the OVP’s learning hubs are beyond the authority of DepEd.
“Wala kaming awtoridad na patawan ng parusa or anuman ang OVP dahil wala iyan sa aming mandate, iba sigurong ahensya ng gobyerno ang puwedeng tumitingin diyan (We have no authority to penalize, impose sanctions, or do anything on the OVP because that is not part of our mandate, other government agencies may look into it),” Briones said when asked if DepEd will direct the closure of these hubs.
The tension between DepEd and the OVP started when Briones announced during the press briefing of presidential spokesperson Harry Roque last Nov. 24 that the agency has no “formal partnership” for the Community Learning Hubs.
The camp of Robredo said that the project was “coordinated” with the DepEd and that it was considered by the Education department as a “good initiative.”
Launched in October, OVP’s learning hubs were put up in several areas to provide assistance to learners who are having difficulties under the distance learning setup currently implemented this school year. The hubs offer the free use of gadgets such as computers and printers, among others, as well as free Internet connection. Volunteer tutors are also present in the hubs for students who need assistance in their studies.
However, it was reported that these hubs are holding “limited face-to-face classes” which the OVP has denied. DepEd clarified that it has no partnership with the OVP, or any group, to hold in-person classes since the existing “non face-to-face classes” policy remains enforced at this time.
Briones also noted that there seemed to be a “miscommunication” with DepEd and the OVP. In their exchanges of official correspondence, she noted that “there was never a phrase or a word" saying that the OVP was "authorized to proceed with your programs.”
For Robredo’s camp, while there was no formal approval from the DepEd, the OVP was never told not to push through with the initiative.