The Department of Education (DepEd) was urged to implement a “uniform policy” on Covid-19 response in schools and provide assistance to learners as well as teachers and non-teaching personnel who contracted the disease since the resumption of face-to-face classes this school year.
“More teachers are getting sick, including those who are positive for Covid-19, but there are no established protocols to respond to the problem and every school has its own response according to their contingency plan,” Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) national chairperson Benjo Basas said in a statement on Monday, Sept. 19.
TDC also raised concerns about the reports that several teachers have been infected with Covid-19 since classes for School Year (SY) 2022-2023 opened on Aug. 22 consistent with the recorded increase of cases as cited by the Department of Health (DOH) in the past weeks.
Citing DepEd Order No. 34 series of 2022, TDC said that schools are required to have an “infection control plan and containment strategy” to be implemented in the event of the spread of Covid-19 or other infectious diseases within their premises.
READ:
https://mb.com.ph/2022/08/14/deped-to-require-each-school-to-come-up-with-a-covid-19-infection-control-plan/
“The order however does not provide for specific guidelines,” Basas noted.
Schools, Basas added, differ in their response to Covid-19 --- especially when positive cases involving teachers and learners are recorded.
For TDC, there should be at least a “common regulation” as regards the disinfection contact tracing, class suspension, paid sick leave and financial assistance to teachers, and other urgent concerns as part of DepEd’s strategy.
“There should be a uniform policy,” Basas said. “We cannot just rely on a school's contingency plan, especially since schools do not have the resources to implement effective measures,” he added.
Basas also stressed that “funds are necessary” for the prevention of infectious diseases such as Covid-19.
Meanwhile, the group is also seeking clarification on the provision of the DO 34 which stated that “schools shall not be held liable should any learner or personnel turn COVID-19 positive.” This, Basas said, is “very dangerous.”
During the press conference on Sept. 15, DepEd Spokesman Michael Poa said that the agency is still collecting data on reported Covid-related incidents in schools and continues to ensure that a “major surge” in Covid-19 cases is prevented in schools.
RELATED STORY:
https://mb.com.ph/2022/09/15/deped-to-release-updated-guidelines-on-face-mask-use-in-schools/