DepEd rejects anew calls to move school opening date 


As far as the Department of Education (DepEd) is concerned, it is "all systems go" for school opening nationwide scheduled next week.

(DepEd file photo)

“At least for the part of DepEd, tuloy po ang pasukan sa Aug. 22 (school opening will push through on Aug. 22),” said DepEd Spokesperson Michael Poa in an interview on Monday, Aug. 15.

To date, Poa said that preparations for the school opening scheduled next week are in full swing. To ensure that schools will be ready to accommodate students for the incoming school year, the DepEd launched the 2022 “Oplan Balik Eskwela (OBE).”

An annual initiative of DepEd, the OBE aims to engage agencies, organizations, and other stakeholders in preparation for the opening of the school year. For this year, it will run from Aug. 15 to 26.

“Sa ngayon po, talagang tuloy na tuloy ang opening natin sa Aug. 22 (Right now, the school opening in Aug. 22 will push through),” Poa said, noting that even schools in earthquake-stricken areas in Northern Luzon are expected to start holding classes in temporary learning spaces.

READ:

https://mb.com.ph/2022/08/15/deped-is-all-set-for-school-opening-next-week/

“We have interventions there and we’re planning to do alternative learning delivery modes which is also provided under DO No. 34,” Poa said in a mix of English and Filipino.

Poa was referring to the School Calendar and Activities for SY 2022-2023 which also outlined the guidelines for the full resumption of classes in all schools this school year. “Nandun lahat iyon kaya tuloy tuloy tayo (It’s all there so we will push through),” he added.

While DepEd is pushing for the full resumption of in-person learning this school year, Poa clarified that the conduct of face-to-face classes may still be suspended by local government units (LGUs).

“With the LGUs, they have the authority and the power to suspend classes if they think that they will be the safest for their students,” he added.

READ:

https://mb.com.ph/2022/08/14/deped-in-person-classes-may-still-be-suspended-by-lgus/

Based on the released guidelines on the School Calendar and Activities for School Year 2022-2023, DepEd only prescribed the options of five days of in-person classes, a blended learning modality, and full distance learning until Oct. 31.

Starting Nov. 2, DepEd said that “all public and private schools shall have transitioned to 5 days of in-person classes.”

DepEd also stressed that “no school shall be allowed to implement purely distance learning or blended learning” except for those implementing alternative delivery modes.

RELATED STORY:

https://mb.com.ph/2022/08/15/at-least-90-percent-of-schools-expected-to-offer-face-to-face-classes-deped/