Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) on Tuesday, Oct. 18, said the return of 100 percent face-to-face classes is necessary, but it cannot be implemented simply with a written order.

Educators criticized the Department of Education’s (DepED) mandate to resume five-day in-person classes in all public schools across the country beginning Nov. 2.

“We have received reports that many schools, especially in the National Capital Region (NCR) and urban areas, are appealing to be exempted from the 5-day face-to-face classes as their facilities and human resources simply cannot make it happen,” said ACT in a press statement.

With this, ACT challenged the department to release the number of institutions appealing for an exemption for this mandate.

Under DepED Order No. 44 s. 2022, private schools were granted the option to continue the implementation of the following learning modalities past Nov. 2, 2022: five days of in-person classes, blended learning modality, or full distance learning.

All public schools, however, were mandated to transition to five-day full face-to-face classes beginning Nov. 2. Institutions that will be granted an exemption are those schools "deemed unable to implement face-to-face classes" and will be excused by the Regional Director concerned.

DepED Spokesperson Michael Poa, in a televised interview over One PH, said the department will try to release the guidelines on this as soon as possible.

“While we do not wish for the push for 100 percent classes to fail, it seems that it is where we are heading given the government’s failure to address our problems,” ACT said, pertaining to the inadequate number of classrooms as well as insufficient teaching and non-teaching personnel in public schools.