CHED: No to nationwide, Luzon-wide academic break

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) on Tuesday brushed off calls for an academic break in the country or even in Luzon following the spate of typhoons in the Philippines.

In a television interview, CHED chairperson Prospero De Vera III pointed out that the commission cannot make a unilateral decision on academic break.

“No to both, especially for the nationwide academic break because the impact of the typhoon and the disasters are different across different parts of the country,” he said in an interview on CNN-Philippines.

“Number two, no also to the Luzon-wide (break) because the universities are already deciding on it,” he added.

Several universities announced week-long class suspension in light of the impact of the typhoons, problems in distance learning, and the mental burden of students and teachers amid the calamity.

For De Vera, school authorities and local governments should decide on the declaration of class suspension, depending on the situation in their respective localities.

“We leave that to the school authorities, because different schools and different students and families are affected differently,” he said.

De Vera said the academic break is still being deliberated as they wait for the disaster assessment after the typhoons.

“This is still a matter that is being discussed. We don’t know yet the actual disaster assessment on the ground,” De vera said.

“For schools that are severely affected, the commission will help these schools. And if the assistance is in terms of academic break then the commission will decide on appropriate time on what is the appropriate academic break for individual universities,” he added. 

The commission has also given the schools the option to adjust their academic calendars, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said at a news conference in Cagayan.

“Ang decision po ng CHED ay hindi po papayagan itong academic break na hinihingi ng ilan, kung hindi ang desisyon po ng en banc ng CHED ay para mag-extend po iyong mga pamantasan, mga kolehiyo na hindi nakapag-klase dahil sa bagyo ng one or two weeks para po matapos ang kanilang semestre,” Roque said.

Roque also said the typhoons had a minimal effect on the implementation of blended learning in schools under the Department of Education.

“Tayo po ay nasa blended learning at ang primary mode of instruction po natin ay modular. So, hindi po masyadong naapekto dahil wala po ngang face-to-face classes sa lahat ng ating mga eskuwelahan,” he said. — Joviland Rita and Virgil Lopez/RSJ/KBK, GMA News