MANILA – Vice President and Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sara Duterte on Thursday stated that the resumption of in-person classes in the basic education level is “doing well”.
The Knight of Rizal Supreme Council invited Duterte as the Guest of Honor to its 60th anniversary celebration at the Teacher’s Camp in Baguio. In a chance interview, she addressed the return to full face-to-face classes in public schools which started on November 2.
“Our in-person or face-to-face classes are doing well,” Duterte said in a mix of English and Filipino. To date, she explained that face-to-face classes are being implemented in more than 90 percent of DepED schools.
All public schools were directed to implement five days of in-person classes while private schools were allowed to continue the implementation of distance learning.
Duterte said that in public schools, distance learning is also allowed if there is a calamity in respective localities.
“We leave it up to the regional directors and to the division superintendents to decide when the children will use modular [learning] when there are calamities,” she added.
Covid-19 situation in schools
Duterte confirmed that there are reports of Covid-19 transmission in schools, particularly with the implementation of full face-to-face classes.
“Yes, meron talaga nangyayari (Yes, that is really happening),” Duterte said, noting that it would be “impossible” that there is no Covid-19 transmission in schools since their respective situations may vary.
In light of this, Duterte stated that DepEd local officials have been asked to coordinate with their local or municipal health offices so that they can be advised as to what strategy the Local Epidemiology Surveillance Unit (LESU) might employ.
“With regard to local infections in the schools, we instructed our division superintendents to coordinate it with their respective LESUs,” Duterte said.
It would be best for schools to refer to their local municipal and city health offices so that they can be assisted in what to do, Duterte added.
“We also leave it up to the doctors to decide what to do when there is a spread of infection inside the school,” she added.
Duterte stated that the Department of Health (DOH) “can provide the most accurate information” regarding Covid-19 figures and infections school, given that the agency is responsible for tracking cases countrywide.
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