DepEd says private, non-DepEd schools may start classes ahead of general school opening

The Department of Education on Friday said private schools and non-DepEd public schools could already start with their classes for school year 2021-2022 pending approval of the new general school opening and calendar.

DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones, in an advisory dated June 23, said classes could begin provided that the schools will be implementing only distance learning modalities and there would be no face-to-face interactions.

She added that private and non-DepEd schools, which will start their classes ahead of the general school opening, shall submit the pertinent documents to the regional director as mandated under DepEd Order No. 13, s. 2020 and DepEd Order No. 17, s. 2020 on readiness assessment.

DepEd Undersecretary and spokesperson Annalyn Sevilla said the exact date of the opening of classes of individual private schools and non-DepEd public schools will be determined after the submission of requirements to the regional directors.

Non-Deped schools are those state universities and colleges (SUCs) and local universities and colleges offering classes from Kinder to Grade 11.

The DepEd is eyeing to open classes under the blended learning scheme by August or September.

"We will release the final school calendar for School Year 2021-2022 once we get the final approval of the President. We are proposing that he choose among either August 23, 2021, September 6, 2021, or September 13, 2021," the DepEd earlier said.

This came after President Rodrigo Duterte thumbed down the proposal to conduct limited face-to-face classes in areas with low transmission rate of COVID-19.

The DepEd has vowed that it will continue to provide quality education despite the threat of COVID-19 pandemic.—AOL, GMA News