The number of schools that suspended face-to-face classes due to extreme heat continues to increase based on the monitoring of the Department of Education (DepEd).
As of Friday, April 12, DepEd data showed a total of 7,080 schools out of 46,678 schools nationwide shifted to Alternative Delivery Modes (ADMs) due to the suspension of onsite classes brought about by the scorching heat.
Due to the hot weather, DepEd said several schools in the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon (Calabarzon); MIMAROPA (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan); Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao Region, SOCCSKSARGEN (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General Santos), Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), and the National Capital Region (NCR) have suspended face-to-face classes and transitioned to ADMs.
Classes were not suspended in Caraga.
Region 3 has the most number of schools that shifted to ADM with 1,903 followed by Region 6 with 862 and Region 7 with 862.
Here is the breakdown of regions implementing ADMs: Region 1 (713); Region 2 (90); Region 4A (264); Region 4B (268); Region 5 (664); Region 8 (164); Region 9 (230); Region 10 (11); Region 11 (75); Region 12 (488); CAR (167) and NCR (311).
Meanwhile, DepEd reiterated that school heads remain in the “best position" to assess the learning environment on the ground more accurately.
Based on the assessment of the school heads, DepEd said schools may switch to ADMs.
As stipulated in DepEd Order No. 21, s. 2019, ADM refers to “instructional or learning modalities that do not strictly follow the typical setup for regular classroom instruction but follow the K to 12 curriculum in content.”
DepEd said it is already an “established policy” that schools may switch to ADM in the event of man-made or natural disasters, including weather disturbances.
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“Kaya po hindi nag-bla-blanket suspension due to heat is because iba-iba po ang situation ng 47,000 public schools across the country (The reason why there is no blanket suspension of classes due to heat is because the situations vary for the 47,000 public schools across the country),” DepEd Undersecretary and Spokesperson Michael Poa told reporters in a Viber message.
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