In public schools: Enrollment starts June 1

CEBU, Philippines —  After President Rodrigo Duterte rejected resumption of classes until a vaccine for COVID-19 is available, the Palace on Wednesday said enrollment will push through on June 1 and the next school year will still open on August 24.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, in an interview with DZMM, said public school enrollment will proceed on June 1 as the government needs to prepare for schools opening.

“We are preparing for the possibility of both: Face-to-face and blended learning,” Roque said.

The Department of Education earlier said the next school year will open on August 24, 2020 and end on April 30, 2021. Following this, Education Secretary Leonor Briones earlier issued a department order setting the school enrollment from June 1 to 30. This includes early registration period.

But Duterte, in an address aired late Monday night, said he wants a vaccine first before classes could continue.

Roque later said Duterte only meant there would be no physical, face-to-face classes for as long as community quarantine is still in place, but physical classes may push through by August 24 if the country is already in the “new normal.”

Blended Learning

The presidential spokesperson reiterated this in the radio interview. He said in a mix of English and Filipino: “What is sure is the schooling of students will proceed. The issue now is the situation on August 24.”

He said the government is looking at data if the country would have reached a “new normal” status by August 24, or when schools will open.

If the situation in the country has yet to reach “new normal” by August 24, classes will still proceed but will be conducted through “blended learning,” Roque said.

This would require the use of community TV and radio stations and the internet, he added.

It remains unclear what would constitute a “new normal” situation, but the Joint Task Force COVID-19 Shield, the quarantine enforcement arm of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases, previously said that strict measures under the general community quarantine are the new normal.

At Risk

Meanwhile, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) said unclear government guidelines on schools opening mere days before the start of enrollment leaves teachers in limbo.

ACT Secretary General Raymond Basilio noted that this “discord” among government puts teachers in “restless limbo” and only shows that “the country is not actually ready to open schools.”

“As such, we fear that the unpreparedness and premature decisions may put to risk the lives of teachers, staff and parents,” Basilio added.

Lack of Preparation

ACT, a group for education sector workers, also noted that the Department of Education has yet to address teachers’ concerns on enrollment. These include lack of laptops and access to the internet. They are also concerned about enrolment procedures for students/parents without internet and computer access.

The group also said that teachers are anticipating that they would be called on to work onsite “despite the lack of mass testing.”

“These are the realities on the ground. DepEd’s lack of clear guidelines, arrangements, and provision of requisites to make virtual reporting possible, the agency may be putting teachers in harm’s way amid a still uncontained pandemic,” Basilio said.

Parents and students who may have to go to the schools also risk contracting and spreading COVID-19, he added. “What is the government’s plan on these very real and dangerous possibilities?”

Deped must clarify

The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition, for its part, said DepEd must step in and clarify on issues surrounding the incoming school year.

Noting the conflicting statements from Duterte and Roque, TDC said this may onl mean that the president himself is not convinced with DepEd’s plan or is confused.

“Kung paanong hindi rin malinaw sa publiko, lalo na sa mga magulang at ibang guro ang mga pahayag ng DepEd (In the same way that it isn't clear to the public, DepEd policies are even more confusing to parents and some teachers),” TDC said in a separate statement.

The group called for consultation or dialogues with teachers, parents and learners so the issues may be ironed out at the soonest. Philstar.com, JMO (FREEMAN)