While it has approved the progressive expansion of in-person learning, the Department of Education (DepEd) said that there will be no going back to “pure” face-to-face classes.
“At this time and at this age, to say that there is no other way to learn but face-to-face should be re-examined,” Education Secretary Leonor Briones during a virtual presser on Friday, Feb. 4.
Briones said that while DepEd has been pushing for the resumption of face-to-face classes, blended learning remains the default learning delivery modality.
“The emerging face-to-face approach will not be the same , Briones said, noting that “it would be good to re-examine our obsession” with the traditional face-to-face classes as “there are emerging ways by which a child can learn.”
Briones said that blended learning, a combination of two or more learning delivery modalities, will be adopted by DepEd as it continues to push to the resumption of face-to-face classes.
“There are children who have adopted very easily to blended learning,” Briones said, noting that there are various approaches that can be used aside from pure face-to-face learning.
“It’s also high time to think about the notion of school space or where or how can a child learn,” she added.
'New Normal' phase
In the same briefing, Assistant Secretary Malcolm Garma said DepEd is pushing blended learning where students learn their lessons regardless of the setting.
Garma said while others are looking into their post-pandemic exit plans, DepEd is planning for an “entry” plan for the “New Normal” phase.
“After the expansion phase, we are very optimistic and very hopeful that we can already go into what we call as the new normal phase wherein having face-to-face will be part of the normal operation of our schools as the main delivery learning unit, in combination with the home-based learning,” Garma explained.
Given this, Garma said that there is no going back to pure face-to-face classes.
“We have to optimize the potential of home-based learning through technology and innovations in education,” he added.
To be able to proceed to this phase, Garma underscored the need for DepEd to set “mechanisms and institutionalize processes that would operationalize blended learning.”