Binay, Cayetano hit DepEd's lack of enthusiasm to push for limited face-to-face classes

Some senators on Wednesday, August 25, deplored the Department of Education (DepEd) for its supposed lack of enthusiasm to push for the resumption of physical classes especially in areas that have little risks for COVID-19.

Senator Nancy Binay noted that from the outset, the DepEd seemed to lack the drive to consider the reopening of classes even under a limited face-to-face set-up.

Binay noted that compared to the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) enthusiasm to reopen the tourism industry, DepEd has yet to present concrete plans to President Duterte regarding holding limited physical classes to resume the activities of the education sector considering this would have a greater impact to the country’s economy in the future. Duterte has repeatedly rejected proposals for limited face-to-face classes.

“From my impression, why does it seem that there’s no sense of urgency?” Binay pointed out during the Senate committee on basic education, arts and culture hearing on the preparedness of schools to conduct safe classes for school year 2021 to 2022.

Binay said it is high time the DepEd should seriously study how to start the pilot testing of face-to-face classes for this coming school year.

“It should be our goal. How do we start doing pilot testing. I am not advocating the total reopening of our schools. As you said, we have many local government units (LGUs) that have neer experienced COVID-19 yet in their communities. That should be the starting point for the DepEd),” Binay stressed.

Sen. Pia Cayetano agreed with Binay, saying she, too, was dismayed that the DepEd could not properly advocate for a limited physical classes while more and more students are regressing in their knowledge due to the current distance learning set up.

“What we’re trying to convey is this: as Sen. Binay said, kung maka-rally ang DOT dun sa opening ng sector nila ang tindi (When DOT rallied for the reopening of the tourism sector, they were serious),” Cayetano pointed out.

“We’re not saying na wala kayong (you have no) effort. We’re just saying di naming nakikita (we cannot see your efforts). So may worry kami, may concern kami na nakaka-rally ba kayo (can you rally) in the same way other agencies are rallying for their constituents?” she added.

She also pointed out the DepEd officials are not even included whenever the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) discusses possible lockdowns or restrictions in movement.

“Kasi everytime we have ECQ, MECQ, or whatever, nagtatalo diyan ang DOH and DTI because of the need to balance the economy. But we never hear the DepEd in the picture,” Cayetano lamented.

“We have to be able to live with this, after Delta, may Lambda, may iba pa (variant). If it’s only the US and Europe who were able to send their kids to school then I would be a little less adamant us about getting to physical school. But basically it’s the whole world and only 14 of us (countries) are not doing that). We really need to be able to work around this,” she reiterated.

Education Undersecretary Nepomuceno Malaluan told Cayetano that the DepEd, together with the Department of Health (DOH), will come out with a circular which will be approved by the IATF probably next week on the readiness of around 100 schools to pilot test face to face classes for the opening of schools next month.

Binay said that President should have been the first to know of the DepEd’s plan on implementing pilot testing of limited face-to-face classes because “at the end of the day, he will make the decision.”

“If he doesn’t know what you will implement, he would surely say no face-to-face classes,” Binay lamented.

“That rollout is so slow and pathetic, if you ask me. Sorry, but you’re really lagging behind," Cayetano also said.