Class opening moved to October

CEBU, Philippines — President Duterte has directed the Department of Education to defer the opening of classes from August 24 to October 5 this year for Academic Year 2020-2021 for primary and secondary schools, following the pressure coming from various sectors of society due to the concerns about the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea relayed yesterday the President’s instructions in an August 14 memorandum sent to DepEd Sec. Leonor Briones.

“Please be informed hat pursuant to the instructions of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, and was recommended by the DepEd, the opening of classes is deferred to 05 October 2020,” the one-page memorandum read.

 “In this regard, the DepEd is hereby instructed to ensure that all prepartions have been made for the smooth and successful virtual opening of classes for Academic Year 2020-2021,” the memo said.

On Thursday, Briones has been passionate on the need for the Philippines to open the school year through blended learning because we cannot afford to lose time for about 23.2-million learners nationwide. The Philippines has lagged behind its neighbors in the Southeast Asian region in terms of resumption of classes, Briones said a day before Malacañang released the orders to defer the opening classes.

Earlier in the day, Cabinet Sec. Karlo Alexei Nograles said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Diseases will still discuss the proposal to postpone the opening of classes this month.

Nograles, co-chairperson of te IATF, raised concerns on the impact of the further delay of resumption of classes on the students’ learning.   He also noted that the government’s feeding program for undernourished children will be adversely affected if classes would be moved to a later date.

“If we delay it some more, siyempre ang iniiwasan po natin na magiging dehado or behind ang ating mga public elementary and public high school students. It might be more challenging siyempre from an educational point of view to catch up with the private schools,” Nograles said in an interview at CNN Philippines.

Several senators have urged the executive department to move to a later date the opening of classes to given more time to prepare for distance learning and ensure the safety of everyone amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (FREEMAN)