The Department of Education (DepEd) is currently finalizing its report on the five-week pilot implementation of limited face-to-face classes to be submitted to President Duterte.
During a virtual briefing on Wednesday, Jan. 5., Education Secretary Leonor Briones announced that DepEd completed the pilot study of limited face-to-face classes in December.
“Fina-finalize na (We’re finalizing it) although within the framework of the general instructions of the President that we can already make decisions in consultation with the Health ,” Briones said.
Briones said that aside from the Department of Health (DOH), DepEd worked closely with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to ensure the smooth implementation of pilot face-to-face classes.
Meanwhile, Briones recognized the vital role of local government units (LGUs) in implementing limited face-to-face classes.
The LGUs, she said, have been very helpful since they know the specific needs and conditions of schools, teachers, and students in their respective areas.
DepEd, she said, was also told to “pay attention to the protocols” of the DOH.
Upon the approval of the President, DepEd was allowed to reopen schools for pilot face-to-face classes in November 2021.
In his presentation, Assistant Secretary Malcolm Garma said that 100 public schools initially conducted the pilot study of limited face-to-face classes on Nov. 15, 2021.
“Subsequently, upon the President’s authorization to increase the number of pilot schools from the initial 100 public schools in the pilot study of limited face-to-face classes, the Regional Directors nominated additional public schools to be included in the pilot run,” Garma said.
Garma explained that 165 out of 177 public schools qualified to join the ongoing pilot run of the limited face-to-face classes have “successfully commenced” on Dec. 6, 2021.
As of Dec. 15, 2021, Garma said that 265 public schools were allowed by DepEd and DOH to join the pilot implementation of limited face-to-face classes.
Garma also noted that 19 private schools nationwide were selected to participate in the pilot run.
Last Dec. 6, Garma said three schools in the National Capital Region (NCR) were allowed to start their face-to-face classes. As of Dec. 15, there were already 22 private schools in the pilot run phase.
Likewise, eight international schools in NCR have been allowed to implement face-to-face classes.