To clear up confusion among parents and learners, Education Secretary Leonor Briones on Wednesday debunked some “misconceptions” on various school opening concerns.

In an online press conference, Briones explained that there is a need to clarify some misconceptions on school opening and other related concerns in an effort to assure the parents and students that learning this upcoming school year (SY) 2020-2021 is “safe” and will continue.

Briones said that among the misconceptions is that the school opening will be postponed to a later date. “As announced as early as May 8, opening of classes will proceed as planned on August 24, through blended/distance learning modalities only,” she explained.

Another misconception, Briones said, is that classes for this school year will be conducted in online modality only. “DepEd can provide learning opportunities to our students, without requiring them to come to school through blended/distance learning modalities such as printed or digital modules; online learning resources (DepEd Commons); and television or radio-based instruction,” she added.

Briones also addressed confusion on the conduct of classes -- especially if face-to-face classes will be allowed in some areas. “Consistent with the President’s non-negotiable commitment to the health and safety of our learners, teachers, and staff, face-to-face classes will not take place until it is safe to do so,” she said.

 However, she noted that the DepEd continues to engage with the Department of Health (DOH) and the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) as well as the present updates to the Office of the President.

One-size-fits-all policy not applicable

While DepEd lays out plans and prepares for the school opening, Briones explained that its Learning Continuity Plan (LCP) will be flexible and “contextualized” based on the unique needs of learners in various areas.

“The Learning Continuity Plan of DepEd is not a one-size-fit-all policy,” Briones said. “The modality to be used will be responsive to the context and available resources of the schools and the learners,” she added.

As mentioned earlier, DepEd will be implementing Blended Learning approach to ensure learning continuity amid COVID-19 crisis. This approach, she explained, “refers to a learning delivery that combines face-to-face with any or a mix of online distance learning, modular distance learning, and TV/Radio-based Instruction. Blended learning will enable the schools to limit face-to-face learning, ensure social distancing, and decrease the volume of people outside the home at any given time.”

Briones noted that critical for implementation of Blended Learning will be the production of the needed teacher’s and learner’s learning materials (LR Portal and DepEd Commons will be maximized), as well as the support of media institutions like TV and radio stations.“However, while face-to-face classes are not yet allowed, blended learning means the combination of the various distance learning modalities,” she added.

Currently, Briones said that DepEd has been preparing for various learning delivery modalities to suit every learner’s need and capacity. “DepEd puts focus on self-learning modules as the primary learning tool that can cater to all students, which can then be blended with other learning delivery modalities that the student has access to,” she ended.