Philippines
National
161 universities, colleges now offer limited face-to-face classes --- CHED
161 universities, colleges now offer limited face-to-face classes --- CHED
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) said that there are currently 161 higher education institutions (HEIs) nationwide that have been allowed to hold limited face-to-face classes.
“Yung nauna, dun sa January limited face-to-face at dun sa September limited face-to-face, ang nagbukas na ay 161 schools at marami pa ang nabigyan na nang authority na magbukas pero magbubukas yata yung iba, January ang gusto nila kasi depende sa school iyan. (The previous ones, in January limited face-to-face and in September limited face-to-face, 161 schools have already opened and many more have been given the authority to open but the others, they want to open January because it depends on the school],” CHED Chairman Popoy De Vera said in a Laging Handa public briefing.
As early as January this year, De Vera said that limited in-person classes in the tertiary level started already for students taking up Medicine and Allied Health Sciences. This, he added, was considered as the “first batch.”
De Vera explained that in September, face-to-face activities were also expanded for other degree programs.
As approved by President Duterte and the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), the “second batch” included Engineering and Technology programs, Hospitality/ Hotel and Restaurant Management, Tourism/ Travel Management, Marine Engineering, and Marine Transportation.
“Kasi papatapos na ang semester ngayon, yung iba na na-aprubahan na yung kanilang authority to have limited face-to-face, ang decision nila, sa second semester na sila magsisimulang magbubukas (Because the semester is coming to an end now, the others who have received the authority to have limited face-to-face, their decision is that they will start opening in the second semester),” he explained.
De Vera said that all HEIs that are interested to hold limited face-to-face classes have to apply first.
There are also specific requirements based on the guidelines such as retrofitting the schools to ensure that minimum health standards are observed. This, he added, will be inspected by a team composed of CHED, the Department of Health (DOH) and the local government.
“Kung tatanungin kung kailan sila magbubukas, iniiwan natin yan sa schools kung kailan ang decision nila pero once na na nakapag-comply na sila, the next day pwede na sila magbukas ng kanilang mga campus (If asked when they will open, we leave that to the schools, it is their decision but once they have complied, the next day they can open their campuses),” De Vera said.