The Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA), together with its affiliate organizations, supported President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s decision to “extend” blended learning beyond Oct. 31 in selected Philippine areas.

Marcos, on Tuesday, July 19, said that blended learning would continue in “very specific” areas beyond October 2022, adding that the Department of Education (DepEd) needs to “address the lack of classrooms, teachers,” as well as other education concerns in several areas across the country.

“With this new development, the COCOPEA reiterates its appeal to allow their member schools the flexibility and wide latitude to combine online and other remote learning modalities with in-person classes beyond Oct. 31, 2022,” said COCOPEA Managing Director Atty. Joseph Noel Estrada.

“The cost of the return to face-to-face classes of all students in some of these small struggling schools may not be readily afforded by them without government assistance as they still hope to improve their enrollment in the coming school year,” he furthered.

Meanwhile, COCOPEA stressed that the integration of online and remote modalities to in-person classes in the upcoming school year (SY) 2022-2023 would allow private schools nationwide to enhance their students’ learning experiences without causing them harm amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Vice President and DepEd Secretary Sara Duterte, on the other hand, in a statement issued on Wednesday, July 20, said that Marcos agreed that a plan should be made with a caveat that face-to-face classes “shall be made priority” and blended learning “shall be considered only in specific schools and areas with special circumstances.”

While DepEd will prepare a plan to be reviewed by the President, Duterte said that the requirement of the five-day face-to-face classes by Nov. 2, 2022 is “still in effect.”