DepEd: No more sem break for elementary, high schools

Elementary and high school classes in places hit by storm “Ondoy" will resume Monday, Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said Saturday. "In general ang ating sinasabi ay kailangan nang mag-resume ng klase sa Lunes pero maraming exception (In general, we have to resume classes Monday though there will be exceptions)," he said in an interview on dzBB radio. And to make up for lost time in their school calendar, there will be no more semestral break for those who went on a one-week break, he said. "Wala nang sembreak, one week lang naman yan (There will be no more semestral break. Anyway it's just one week)," he said. Lapus said the department is also considering alternatives for the students, such as holding classes on Saturdays and home study. He said the exceptions are if the school is still not accessible via public transportation; if the school is being used as an evacuation center; and if the local government still suspended classes in the area. But he said that in general, many want to return to their classes. The DepEd suspended classes in Central Luzon, Southern Luzon and Metro Manila in the wake of tropical storm "Ondoy" (Ketsana). Lapus said they will try to consolidate evacuees in a single school to give way to the resumption of classes. Public schools in many flooded places are being used as evacuation centers. He also said they are looking at "flexible alternatives" such as holding classes in covered courts and other structures. - GMANews.TV