DepEd eyes 100 schools for pilot study of limited face-to-face classes amid COVID-19 pandemic


At least 100 schools will be included in the pilot study of limited face-to-face classes once approved by President Duterte, the Department of Education (DepEd) on Monday, July 19, said.

Students attend face-to-face classes before the COVID-19 pandemic (RIO DELUVIO / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)

Education Secretary Leonor Briones, during the Laging Handa public briefing, said that President Duterte has yet to approve the resumption of limited face-to-face classes when the School Year (SY) 2021-2022 starts on Sept. 13. Thus, learning blended will still be in place.

READ:

https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/16/opening-of-school-year-2021-2022-for-public-schools-set-on-sept-13-deped/

“What we are proposing is a pilot study for 100 schools, it’s still up to the decision of the President whether or not he will allow the pilot study of limited face-to-face classes,” Briones said in a mix of English and Filipino.

President Duterte, Briones said, has chosen Sept. 13 as the school opening date for the upcoming school year among the three options that were presented to him by DepEd.

Briones explained that the President has “not yet approved or given the go signal” for the pilot study of limited face-to-face classes.

“For 100 schools, subukan natin, tingnan natin kung makayanan natin ang (we will try, we will see) limited face-to-face,” she said. “But we will not have face-to-face on Sept. 13, we want to make that very, very clear - it’s still blended learning,” she added.

In December 2020, Briones noted that the President has already approved the pilot implementation of limited face-to-face classes in low risk areas. “He approved this pilot study which was supposed to be in January but the UK variant came out,” she said.

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