Nearly two years since schools were prohibited from holding face-to-face activities due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Department of Education (DepEd) expressed optimism that the conduct of limited physical end-of-school-year rites (EOSY) will be allowed this school year.
DepEd, in a statement issued on Monday, March 7, said that schools might be able to hold limited graduation ceremonies and EOSY rites for School Year (SY) 2021-2022 with the continued decline of Covid-19 cases in the country.
“Ang hope lang natin, maabutan ng graduation season natin na hindi naman abutan ng hindi magandang balita, kung may biglang pagbabago (Our hope is that our graduation season will not be affected if there is a sudden change),” Education Secretary Leonor Briones said.
Briones was pertaining to a possible increase in Covid cases or changes in Alert Levels in different areas.
At the recent EduAksyon Virtual Regional press conference hosted by DepEd Region IX, Briones also expressed her optimism that schools may be able to conduct their graduation rites depending on the risk assessment in various regions of the country.
Briones explained that the risk assessment varies from one region to another. There are schools where restrictions have improved.
“Pag nag tuloy-tuloy ito, the chances of being allowed to conduct face-to-face graduation also increases (If this continues, the chances of being allowed to conduct face-to-face graduation also increases),” Briones said.
Since February, schools that have been assessed by DepEd and the Department of Health (DOH) and were located in low-risk areas were allowed to hold limited in-person classes as part of the expansion phase.
“Sunod-sunod yan pag nag-opening ka ng classes, (it follows, when you open face-to-face), physical graduation rites are also possible,” Briones explained.
In anticipation of the physical graduation rites, the Office of the Undersecretary for Curriculum and Instruction (OUCI) is already planning and developing the guidelines on how to conduct the said activity.
Undersecretary for Curriculum and Instruction Diosdado M. San Antonio said that the members of the DepEd’s Curriculum and Instruction Strand are already discussing the guidelines.
“Yung tanong na kung possible ang face-to-face graduation? Siyempre po kasi nga pinayagan na ang limited face-to-face, so ang ibig sabihin posible na rin yung limited face-to-face graduation ceremonies (The question is, whether or not face-to-face graduation is possible? Of course, limited face-to-face has been allowed, so that means limited face-to-face graduation ceremonies are also possible),” he said.
If allowed by the authorities, San Antonio stressed that the conduct of graduation ceremonies will not be the same as before the pandemic.
“Huwag tayong umasa na katulad ng dati na napakaraming tao, ire-regulate po natin, susundin natin yung mga social distancing requirements (Let's not expect like before that there are so many people, we will regulate, we will follow the social distancing requirements),” San Antonio said.
In the guidelines, San Antonio said that schools will have to ensure that proper health and safety protocols will be maintained throughout the ceremony.
He cited the possibility of holding the EOSY rites in batches or groups. There are also other models that DepEd is studying and looking into.
Regardless of the model to be adopted for possible face-to-face graduation ceremonies and rites, San Antonio assures that DepEd’s recommendation “will be in line with the requirements” of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) and the DOH.