DepEd exec: There's big chance limited face-to-face classes will be allowed in NCR

There is a strong possibility that limited face-to-face classes will be conducted in Metro Manila as the COVID-19 situation in the region is improving, an executive of the Department of Education (DepEd) said Saturday.

“Malaki ang tsansang magkaroon ng pilot testing ng limited face-to-face classes sa NCR (National Capital Region),” DepEd Director Roger Masapol said in an interview on Dobol B TV.

[There’s a big chance that pilot testing of limited face-to-face classes will be conducted in NCR.]

The DepEd executive said the agency has already written a letter to President Rodrigo Duterte asking him to allow more schools to participate in the pilot implementation of limited face-to-face classes, which will start next week.

Masapol said 100 public schools nationwide — except in NCR, Cordillera Administrative Region, Region 2, and Region 4-B — are all set to participate in the pilot in-person classes.

He said that the President responded positively to the DepEd’s request to allow more regions to participate in the pilot study.

“So pinag-aaralan na rin ngayon ng DepEd na i-assess ang mga paaralan sa NCR, CAR, Region 2 at Region 4-B para lahat ay magkaroon na ng limited face-to-face classes,” Masapol said.

[The DepEd is now assessing schools in NCR, CAR, Region 2 and Region 4-B so that all region will have limited face-to-face classes.]

“Bago pa magsimula ang klase ay nagsulat na tayo sa Pangulo na payagan tayong i-expand ang pilot study kasi nga medyo gumanda na ang ating sitwasyon sa NCR,” he said.

[Before we start classes, we already wrote a letter to the President to allow us to expand the pilot study because the situation in NCR is already improving.]

The DepEd executive said that apart from 100 public schools, which will begin limited in-person classes on November 15, nineteen private schools will also participate in the pilot study beginning November 22.

He said that only classes for Kinder to Grade 3 are part of the pilot study.

Class sizes wer also reduced to 12 students per classroom from an average of 25 pre-pandemic for Kinder, and only 16 students per classroom for Grade 1 to 3 from 30.

Classes will also be limited to three hours. Wearing of face masks and face shields are required at all times during classes for both students and teachers.

Based on the DepEd list, of the 100 public schools which will start limited in-person classes on November 15, ten are located in Ilocos, 10 in Central Luzon, five in Calabarzon, nine in the Bicol Region, three in Western Visayas, eight in Central Visayas, and 10 in Eastern Visayas.

Also, eight schools are from Zamboanga, 10 from Northern Mindanao, eight from Davao, five from Soccsksargen,and 14 from Caraga. —KG, GMA News