ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — All public schools in Zamboanga City have started providing and implementing progressive face-to-face (F2F) classes, the local Department of Education office said.
Dr. Roy Tuballa, schools division superintendent, said in a virtual briefing Monday night that at least 213 public schools and three private schools are operating have been holding limited face-to-face classes, which are allowed under Alert Level 1.
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The DepEd official said 58,171 public school learners, or 23% of all students, have participated in the limited F2F classes.
"With the situation right now, I could say everything is in order following the joint guidelines issued by the Department of Education and the Department of Health with the rollout of school safety assessment tools, which is also the requirement of the local Inter Agency Task Force," Tuballa said.
Tuballa said priority in the F2F classes is given to learners struggling with classes and those with their parents' consent.
During the start of the modular and distant learning, DepEd personnel learned that a number of the first-graders could not read and needed instructional support. Tuballa said they can still help the learners catch up in the remaining grading periods.
"That is why we needed the face-to-face because nothing substitutes fo the teachers," Tuballa said.
Blended modular learning is still being done despite the eased restrictions.
There have been no reported infections since the start of face-to-face classes in schools around the city and isolation protocols and guidelines are in place in case that happens.
Tuballa said 95.8% of teachers and non-teaching personnel have been fully vaccinated for protection against COVID-19. But the DepEd official confirmed that at least 238 teachers and non-teaching employees have been infected and nine have reportedly died since the pandemic began in 2020.