The Department of Education (DepEd) estimated that around 90 percent of public schools will open the School Year (SY) 2022-2023 next week by offering face-to-face classes.

DepEd Undersecretary and Chief of Staff Epimaco Densing III, during the presser for the “Oplan Balik Eskwela” (OBE) 2022 on Monday, Aug. 15, said that based on the guidelines issued for School Year (SY) 2022-2023, all schools will be expected to implement five days in-person classes starting November of this year.

“Based sa ating talaan (on our data), ang (our) expectation namin ay (is that) out of the more than 47,000 schools public schools, we expect that at least 90 percent will already be doing face-to-face,” Densing said when asked how many public schools will conduct face-to-face classes when schools open on Aug. 22.

“In the prior year, our experience is that 76 percent of all public schools have already had their face-to-face classes and we expect this to rise to about 90 percent,” Densing said.

The remaining 10 percent, he explained, will still be implementing blended learning. “We will be coordinating with LGUs if they would also allow face-to-face by that time,” he added.

Based on the DepEd Order No. 34 s. of 2022 or the School Calendar and Activities for SY 2022-2023, schools will be allowed to implement either face-to-face; blended, or full distance learning during the transition period from Aug. 22 to Oct. 31.

“By Nov. 2, kailangan 100 percent na ang face-to-face ,” Densing said as he underscored the importance of in-person learning to address learning loss during the pandemic.

READ:

https://mb.com.ph/2022/08/14/deped-reiterates-commitment-to-address-learning-loss-during-the-pandemic/

“For private schools, many of them or majority of them will still be doing blended learning at least until Oct. 31 although some private schools also intend to do full face-to-face classes within the period,” Densing added.

Meanwhile, DepEd Undersecretary for Governance and Field Operations Revsee Escobedo said that schools are given the option to choose which of the three modalities prescribed by DepEd during the transition period.

Currently, he noted that DepEd regional and division offices are submitting the list of schools --- especially public schools --- that will open for in-person classes.

Escobedo noted that most of the schools that appeal for the continued implementation of alternative learning delivery modalities come from the private sector.

“Nag-offer na sila ng modality nila for SY 2022-2023, may iilan na naka-program for blended learning and ilan din na naka-program for distance learning (They have already offered their modality for SY 2022-2023, some are programmed for blended learning and some are also programmed for distance learning),” Escobedo explained.

As a response, Escobedo said that DepEd continues to coordinate with the private schools about the transition from blended learning or full distance learning to face-to-face classes or in-person classes by Nov. 2 so “we can safely go back to our schools.”

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