The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) on Wednesday, Jan. 12, clarified that the opening of limited face-to-face classes for all degree programs would still depend on the current conditions on the ground.
CHED Chairman Popoy De Vera, in a TeleRadyo interview, said that while the qualified Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have been allowed to reopen their campuses for limited face-to-face classes, this would still depend on their readiness amid the current public health situation.
“Yung January 31, ang ibig sabihin, yung ang pinakamaaga na pwedeng kang magbukas pero yung conditions on the ground are not favorable, eh syempre di ka dapat magbukas ng Jan. 31 (For the January 31, it means that this is the earliest date that they can open but if the conditions on the ground are not favorable, of course you shouldn't open on Jan. 31),” De Vera said.
In an advisory issued on Jan. 10, CHED informed HEIs of the date of Phase 2 of the implementation of limited face-to-face classes for all programs of HEIs in areas under Alert Level 3 starting on Jan. 31, 2022.
READ:
https://mb.com.ph/2022/01/11/ched-limited-face-to-face-classes-for-all-programs-alert-level-3-areas-to-begin-on-jan-31/
De Vera explained that in November last year, qualified HEIs were allowed to open limited face-to-face classes as early as December 2021 and January 2022, depending on their risk classification.
“Ang ayaw lang natin ay magbukas ng maaga tapos kasagsagan ng pandemya kasi delikado yan (What we don’t like to happen is they the open amid the raging pandemic because it's dangerous),” De Vera said.
Certain areas, including Metro Manila, have been placed under Alert Level 3 due to the surge in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases.
“Hopefully, by Jan. 31, you have a better grip on the data, and we will see if the cases will go down. Until then, the decision of HEIs should be to adjust to the conditions on the ground,” De Vera explained.
De Vera said that even if CHED announced that limited face-to-face classes may start on Jan. 31, it is still up to the schools whether or not they will push through with it.
“You really can’t do limited face-to-face if, for example, many are still working from home or many students and faculty are still infected. Realistically, you cannot do that,” De Vera said.
However, De Vera said that HEIs --- even in Level 3 areas --- may start with online sessions and then shift to face-to-face classes during the middle of the semester.
“This will depend on the design of the schools, they can open with online and offline then the other portion can be done in the following weeks,” he said.
De Vera noted that some HEIs, like the University of the Philippines (UP), decided to limit the face-to-face classes to a small group of students --- particularly those under the Graduate School and graduating students in some courses --- this second semester.
Given this, De Vera reiterated that HEIs --- regardless of risk classification --- were given discretion over the implementation of limited face-to-face classes for all degree programs depending on their overall readiness.
READ:
https://mb.com.ph/2022/01/12/heis-given-discretion-on-the-opening-of-limited-face-to-face-classes-ched/