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No face-to-face classes until COVID-19 vaccine is available, DepEd reiterates


Complying with the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte, the Department of Education (DepEd) reiterated on Monday that face-to-face classes would not be held until a COVID-19 vaccine is available.

“We will comply with the President’s directive to postpone face-to-face classes until a vaccine is available,” Education Secretary Leonor Briones said in a statement.

Duterte said on May 25 that he would not allow the opening of classes until a vaccine against COVID-19 was made locally available. His spokesperson Harry Roque later clarified that traditional face-to-face classes would not resume as long as community quarantines meant to curb the spread of the virus remain in place.

Briones said the DepEd has been preparing for the implementation of blended learning as the department maintained its commitment “to make education available and thriving, even in the most difficult time.”

“Radio, television, online and modular learning – which are pre-existing methods and were already used for decades – are being prepared and updated for this year. At the same time, teachers are being trained on utilizing newer platforms and innovative tools to aid their professional development,” she said.

“We are working with the private sector and education experts to make these necessary steps logistically sound, especially on the development, acquisition, and deployment of learning resources.”

Briones also said the DepEd would provide regular readiness assessment reports to the public.

“We thank the President for reiterating the national government’s willingness to assist us in our endeavor to offer alternatives to face-to-face learning despite the public health situation,” she said.

The upcoming school year will start on August 24, 2020 and will end on April 30, 2021. --Virgil Lopez/KBK, GMA News

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