The Department of Education (DepEd) today issued a statement questioning the government’s decision to move the reopening of the 2020 school year to September.
The Philippine school year normally opens in June. However, the Education Department earlier this week said that they were eyeing to push the opening of the school year to August due to the dangers posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s also to comply with Republic Act 7977, which requires the school year to start not later than August.
Read: Philippine schools set to reopen in August due to COVID-19
President Rodrigo Duterte had approved the recommendation of the country’s COVID-19 task force to reopen schools in September in areas placed under the general community quarantine (GCQ).
“The option in low-risk to moderate areas is to open by industry, and consider for 100 percent closure [of schools in high risk areas]… because children aged 0 to 20 are the transmitters. For all schools, let us consider a late opening in September, with the exception of online learning,” Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said, reading the Inter-Agency Task Force of Emerging Infectious Diseases’ (IATF-EID) recommendation in a virtual presser.
On its Twitter today, DepEd wrote, “The following is a verbatim report on the statement made by Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque and Acting Secretary Karl Chua.” Then attached a conversation made between Roque and Chua today at the press briefing.
“Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque: We have a law that says the opening of classes is supposed to be in June and August. But the recommendation of IATF is to open the school year in September at the earliest, how will this be, Secretary [Chua]?”
Acting NEDA Secretary Karl Chua: Actually, I want to clarify that yes, it is correct, there is a law…What the DepEd wants is to present to the IATF their recommendation so that we can abide by the rule of law. Anyway, we can still wait for the [recommendation] until end of August. Let us wait for DepEd to present [to the IATF], and for IATF to say if they will approve of the policy.
PS Roque: So that means the recommendation is set earliest for September, but subject to compliance with the law and the recommendation of DepEd. That is clear.”
Official Statement of the Office of the Secretary on the opening of schools for SY 2020-2021#DepEdPhilippines #DepEdTayo pic.twitter.com/UtbmniZ6Mo
— DepEd (@DepEd_PH) April 24, 2020
Meanwhile, ACT-CIS Partylist Representative Jocelyn Tulfo yesterday pushed for classes for the coming school year to be held in shifts to reduce the number of students coming to class.
“Some grade levels have classes on Mondays to Wednesdays. The others have sessions on Thursday to Saturdays,” Tulfo suggested.
She added that there should be a comprehensive health check on teachers, other school personnel, students, parents, and guardians to ensure that “there are no carriers and infected among these people who interact around school activities.”
A GCQ is a less rigid form of lockdown, which will be imposed in areas where the spread of COVID-19 is considered at a low or moderate risk. Under GCQ, some workers will be allowed to physically report for work in phases, and non-leisure stores in malls may reopen. This will be imposed on May 1.
“All provinces who will not be included in the ECQ will be included in the so-called ‘new normal’ under general community quarantine,” Roque said.
Here are the list of provinces that may reopen schools in September under GCQ:
- Negros Occidental
- Negros Oriental
- Siquijor
- Davao del Sur
- Davao Oriental
- Sultan Kudarat
- Lanao del Sur
- Apayao
- Mountain Province
- Ifugao
- Kalinga
- Ilocos Sur
- Batanes
- Quirino
- Aurora
- Palawan
- Romblon
- Camarines Norte
- Sorsogon
- Masbate
- Guimaras
- Bohol
- Biliran
- Eastern Samar
- Leyte
- Northern Samar
- Southern Leyte
- Zamboanga del Norte
- Zamboanga Sibugay
- Bukidnon
- Camiguin
- Davao Occidental
- Sarangani
- Agusan del Sur
- Dinagat Island
- Surigao del Norte
- Surigao del Sur
- Agusan del Norte
- Basilan at Sulu
Reader Interactions