The Department of Education (DepEd) on Saturday, Aug. 7, said that the blended learning approach in the delivery of basic education will be implemented this upcoming school year.
After the President’s decision on the start date for the incoming school year set next month, DepEd said that it has finalized the School Calendar for SY 2021-2022 wherein “blended learning” approach - a combination of two or more alternative learning delivery modalities - will be used in the delivery of basic education.
The SY 2021-2022, based on the newly-released school calendar, is scheduled to start on Sept. 13 and will end on June 24, 2022.
The incoming school year will have a total of 209 school days in adherence to Republic Act 7797 (An Act to Lengthen the School Calendar from Two Hundred (200) Days to Not More Than Two Hundred Twenty (220) Class Days).
Meanwhile, DepEd maintained that the conduct of face-to-face classes, whether in partial or full-scale, “will still not be allowed unless permitted by the President.”
Enrollment period, breaks
The regular enrollment period for learners under basic education will start on Aug. 16 until Sept. 13.
READ: https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/22/deped-eyes-start-of-enrollment-for-sy-2021-2022-on-august-16/
While the guidelines on enrollment have yet to be released, DepEd Undersecretary Jess Mateo told the Manila Bulletin that remote enrollment might still be implemented “given the risk category.”
Metro Manila is under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) from Aug. 6 to 20. Other areas in the country - including nearby provinces - are also under ECQ and Modified ECQ from Aug. 6 to 15 due to the surge in COVID-19 cases in the country.
Remote enrollment was first implemented by DepEd in SY 2020-2021 in light of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) situation in the country.
To ensure the safety of learners, parents, and teachers, remote enrollment was implemented during the first two weeks of June 2020 through alternative means of communication that do not require physically reporting to school, such as text, call, email, and online messaging.
Limited physical enrollment was allowed later on to accommodate those who do not have access to remote means. Physical enrollment platforms were established by the schools in coordination with the Local Government Units (LGUs).
Drop boxes and kiosks in barangay halls and schools were also put up so parents may pick up or drop off the Learner Enrollment and Survey Form (LESF) as part of the enrollment requirements.
From March to May 2021, DepEd conducted Early Registration which was participated in by 4.5 million incoming Kinder, Grades 1, 7 and 11 learners. DepEd said that students who wish to enroll for SY 2021-2022 - even those who participated in the early registration - will still need to formally enroll during the enrollment period.
Based on the school calendar, Christmas Break will be on Dec. 20 with classes resuming on Jan. 3, 2022.
As it prepares for another school year under the so-called “new normal,” DepEd said that it continues to “strive to ensure education continuity” together with its partners, local government units, and other education stakeholders.
For the incoming school year, DepEd said that it will still implement the the Basic Education-Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP) which was crafted last year as its response to the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic in the education sector.
Despite the challenges under the new system of learning, DepEd said that it will continue to strengthen its campaign for quality education through “Sulong Edukalidad” which started even before the onset of the pandemic.
“We will continue to learn and innovate from the past year of dealing with the global crisis,” DepEd added.