House OKs on 2nd reading bill giving Duterte ‘flexibility’ to schedule class reopening

The House of Representatives on Monday approved on second reading the measure that would grant President Rodrigo Duterte flexibility to schedule the opening of classes amid the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

In a vote of ayes and nays, the chamber approved House Bill 6895, which amends Section 3 of RA 7797, or the "Act to Lengthen the School Calendar from 200 Days to Not More Than 220 Class Days."

Under the said law, the school year in the country may open as early as the first Monday of June but not later than the last day of August.

"This bill seeks to allow the President some flexibility because of emergencies such as what we are experiencing right now to postpone or to delay the opening of the academic calendar," said House Committee on Basic Education and Culture chair Roman Romulo.

The Senate on Monday also approved on third and final reading their version of the measure.

The Senate bill covers all basic education schools, including foreign or international schools in the Philippines.

The Department of Education (DepEd) earlier announced that School Year 2020-2021 will start on August 24 using "blended forms" of learning to ensure the welfare of over 27 million basic education students and 1.2 million teaching and non-teaching personnel at public and private schools in the country.

Duterte initially said he would not allow the reopening of classes until a vaccine for COVID-19 becomes available.

He, however, later on said he would "scrape the bottom of the barrel" to fund the alternative forms of learning being proposed by the DepEd. — BM, GMA News