DepEd rejects anew requests to move school opening date

MANILA – According to the Department of Education (DepEd), all systems will push through for the nationwide school opening scheduled for next week.

“At least for the part of DepEd, tuloy po ang pasukan sa Aug. 22 (school opening will push through on Aug. 22),” said DepEd Spokesperson Michael Poa in an interview on Monday, Aug. 15.

Poa stated that preparations for the school opening next week are currently in full swing. The DepEd launched the 2022 “Oplan Balik Eskwela (OBE)” to ensure that schools are ready to accommodate students for the incoming school year.

The OBE is an annual DepEd program that seeks to engage agencies, organizations, and other stakeholders in preparation for the start of the school year. This year, it will run from August 15 to August 26.

“Sa ngayon po, talagang tuloy na tuloy ang opening natin sa Aug. 22 (Right now, the school opening in Aug. 22 will push through),” Poa said, noting that even schools in earthquake-stricken areas in Northern Luzon are expected to start holding classes in temporary learning spaces.

“We have interventions there and we’re planning to do alternative learning delivery modes which is also provided under DO No. 34,” Poa said in a mix of English and Filipino.

Poa was alluding to the School Calendar and Activities for SY 2022-2023, which also provided instructions for the full start of classes in all schools this academic year.

“Nandun lahat iyon kaya tuloy tuloy tayo (It’s all there so we will push through),” he added.

Although DepEd is pushing for the full resumption of face-to-face learning this school year, Poa clarified that local government units may still suspend the conduct of face-to-face classes (LGUs).

“With the LGUs, they have the authority and the power to suspend classes if they think that they will be the safest for their students,” he added.

DepEd has only prescribed the options of five days of in-person classes, a blended learning modality, and full distance learning until October 31, based on the released School Calendar and Activities for School Year 2022-2023 guidelines.

DepEd said that beginning November 2, “all public and private schools shall have transitioned to 5 days of in-person classes.”

DepEd also emphasized that “no school shall be permitted to implement solely distance learning or blended learning,” with the exception of those implementing alternative delivery modes.