Briones says over 4k schools resumed face-to-face classes

Department of Education Secretary Leonor Briones said Wednesday that a total of 4,295 schools nationwide have participated in the “progressive expansion” phase of face-to-face classes amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the Laging Handa briefing, Briones reported that 6,213 schools all over the country are ready to join the limited in-person classes, subject to the criteria set by DepEd.

Of the 4,295 schools that met the criteria, there were 76 private schools that have participated in pilot in-person classes as of March 1, when the National Capital Region and 38 more areas shifted to Alert Level 1.

Despite reopening the schools to physical classes, Briones said that they will still implement blended learning to make the children adapt with technology.

“Hindi na kagaya nung unang panahon na mostly face-to-face. Ito ngayon, ‘di natin bibitiwan ang digital technology, ang science, ang mathematics, and so on, but meron talagang face-to-face component dahil mahalaga ‘yan sa pag-socialize at pagturo ng bata. Pareho silang importante para tayo makahabol and will be on par with the other countries,” she added.

(Things have changed from a time when we mostly conduct in-person classes. By now, we’re not going to give up digital technology, science, mathematics, and so on, but there’s really a face-to-face component because that’s important for children to socialize and be taught. These are both important for us to catch up and be on par with the other countries.)

“If you mean full face-to-face na anim, walong oras na ang teacher at mga bata nagkakaharap, hindi ‘yan posibleng mangyayari. Lahat na bansa na binabantayan namiin, lalo na na ‘yung mga bansa na bilib na bilib talaga tayo, wala na ‘yung nation na full face-to-face. May blended component talaga,” she added.

[Having teachers and students face each other for six to eight hours is no longer possible. All the countries that we look up to, have moved away from a purely face-to-face learning environment, embracing a blended component.]

The Education chief also emphasized that they are looking forward to the 100% attendance of the students whether the classes are blended, online, or physical.

Briones said that for face-to-face classes, they are proposing to make them half days only to prevent the children from eating and increase the risk of COVID-19 infections.

In February, DepEd authorized all regional directors to begin the “progressive expansion” phase of face-to-face classes for both public and private schools, following President Rodrigo Duterte’s approval of the department's recommendation to expand face-to-face classes in areas under Alert Level 2 and below.

The pilot testing of face-to-face classes in the country started in November 2021 for both public and private schools that were subject to strict health protocols. —LBG, GMA News