The Department of Education (DepEd) on Tuesday, July 12, announced that classes for school year (SY) 2022-2023 will begin on Aug. 22, 2022 and end on July 7, 2023.
DepEd has issued the school calendar, as well as the activities for SY 2022-2023 in accordance with its commitment to the resumption of five-day in person classes despite the ongoing health crisis due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Pursuant to Republic Act 11480, An Act Amending Section 3 of RA No. 7797, otherwise known as the Act to Lengthen the School Calendar from 200 days to Not More Than 220 Class Days, the SY 2022-2023 shall formally open on Aug. 22, and shall end on July 7, 2023,” it said.
Classes for SY 2022-2023 shall consist of 203 school days. Meanwhile, learning intervention for the Alternative Learning System (ALS) will formally open on the same date, said DepEd.
In preparation for the opening of classes on Aug. 22, DepEd likewise announced that the following shall be implemented as follows: Enrollment period from July 25, 2022 to Aug. 22, 2022; Brigada Eskwela from Aug. 1 until Aug. 26; and Oplan Balik Eskwela on Aug. 15.
Furthermore, DepEd stated that they will give schools across the country ample time to “slowly transition” into the implementation of the five-day in person classes by giving the schools the chance to choose from several modes of learning.
Among the list were the following: five-day in person classes, blended learning modality, which can be implemented through three days of in person classes and two days of distance learning; or full distance learning.
These modalities, however, shall only be implemented by schools nationwide until Oct. 31, 2022, as all public and private schools across the country shall have transitioned to five days in-person classes starting Nov. 2, 2022.
“After the said date, no school shall be allowed to implement purely distance learning or blended learning except for those that are implementing Alternative Delivery Modes,” said DepEd.
Guidelines on preventing the spread of Covid-19
To prevent the spread of Covid-19 in schools, the Department issued their guidelines on the prevention of Covid-19 and other infectious diseases.
Under the DepEd’s guidelines, the use of face masks remains mandatory in the re-opening of classes. Physical distancing shall also be strictly observed while classroom doors and windows shall be opened for ventilation.
Apart from these, students, teachers, as well as non-teaching personnel are strictly prohibited from eating together while facing one another.
“If there is a lack of space in the classroom or school premises to allow distancing during meals, eating shall be done in a manner where all individuals face in one direction and do not talk while their masks are off,” said DepEd.
Meanwhile, the Department also tasked schools to come up with an “infection control plan” and containment strategy that is ready to be implemented in case of the spread of Covid-19 or other infectious diseases.