Duterte approves dry run of face-to-face classes
A dry run of "voluntary" face-to-face classes will be allowed in some schools located in places with low coronavirus risk in January next year following the approval from President Duterte and the Cabinet.
The pilot implementation of in-person classes will be conducted under strict health and safety protocols as well as require permits from the concerned parents, according to Presidential spokesman Harry Roque.
The proposal of the Department of Education (DepEd) on the matter was approved by the President and the Cabinet during a meeting in Malacañang Monday.
"The Palace informs that President Rodrigo Roa Duterte approved during tonight’s Cabinet meeting, December 14, 2020, the presentation of the Department of Education (DepEd) to conduct pilot implementation or dry run of face-to-face classes in select schools within areas with low COVID-risk for the whole month of January 2021," Roque said.
"The DepEd shall coordinate with the COVID-19 National Task Force (NTF) for the monitoring of the conduct of the pilot implementation. The pilot shall be done under strict health and safety measures, and where there is commitment for shared responsibility among DepEd, local government units and parents," he said.
Roque made clear that the planned face-to-face classes in schools would "not be compulsory, but rather voluntary" on the part of the learner and parents.
"Having said this, a parent’s permit needs to be submitted for the student to participate in face-to-face classes," he said.
The government has prohibited the traditional face-to-face classes this school year for the protection of students from the coronavirus infection.
Instead of physically going to schools, students attend classes through distance learning methods such as online, printed modules, or radio and television-based instruction.
President Duterte previously declared that there won't be face-to-face classes until the coronavirus vaccine is developed as a precaution against the outbreak.
Recently, the government has started talks with a number of drug companies manufacturing candidate COVID-19 vaccines to secure the country's supply.
The country’s coronavirus cases have soared nearly half a million as the government moved to relaxed lockdown rules to stimulate economic growth and boost employment.