The Quezon City government has vowed to continue supporting the 10 city public high schools that extended the blending learning modality and are yet to fully implement face-to-face classes.
“Lubos na sumusuporta ang Quezon City sa pagbabalik ng face-to-face classes pero batid din natin na mayroon pang mga suliranin na dapat muna nating masolusyunan. Dahil dito, mahigpit tayong nakikipagtulungan sa SDO-QC (Schools Division Office) para alamin kung anu-ano pa ang mga pwede nating maitulong sa mga paaralan, lalo na sa 10 high schools na nag-extend ng blended learning (Quezon City fully supports the return of face-to-face classes but we also know that there are still problems that we must first solve. Because of this, we are working closely with the SDO-QC to determine what else can we do to help schools, especially in the 10 high schools that have extended blended learning),” Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said.
The 10 schools that are yet to fully implement face-to-face classes are the Justice Cecilia Munoz Palma, Bagong Silangan, Batasan Hills, Balara, San Bartolome, Novaliches, Dona Rosario, Ismael Mathay Sr., New Era and Emilio Jacinto High Schools, the city government said.
It said that the Schools Division Office of the city (SDO-QC) has asked the Department of Education – National Capital Region (NCR) to extend the blended learning modality in schools due to various concerns such as shortage of classrooms and teachers.
The City Education Affairs Unit said that some classrooms in Ismael Mathay Sr. High School were "yellow-tagged" and are subject for minor repairs based on the City Engineering Department’s post-earthquake assessment.
The city government said that there are new school buildings being constructed in the high schools of Barangays Silangan and Bagbag. Two new buildings for Novaliches High School will also be operational next year.
It said will also allocate funds for the construction of a building in Justice Cecilia Munoz Palma High School as well as for the reconstruction of buildings in San Bartolome High School, Batasan Hills National High School, and Dona Rosario High School.
New Era High School is also considering sharing classrooms with a nearby public elementary school for the students, the SDO-QC said.
The city government said it continues to determine other possible measures to address classroom shortage by identifying vacant lots and utilizing city-owned buildings for schools with no buildable spaces.
It added that Emilio Jacinto National High School is currently looking for additional 26 teachers to proceed with the face-to-face classes.
“Tuluy-tuloy naman ‘yung pagpapahiram natin ng tablets sa mga bata, blended man ang klase o face-to-face, para makatulong sa pag-aaral nila. Gumagawa tayo ng paraan para makapag-face-to-face classes na rin sila sa lalong madaling panahon (We are constantly lending tablets to the children, whether their classes are blended or face-to-face, to help them study. We are finding ways for them to have face-to-face classes as soon as possible)," Belmonte added.
The city government said it will also create a task force that will oversee the infrastructure needs of the students in coordination with national government agencies.