Deped issues emergency measures for classes near Mayon

With classes due to resume next week, pupils from families evacuated from the danger zone of restive Mayon Volcano will attend “emergency classes" in the classrooms of four schools being used as evacuation centers. This was one of the guidelines issued by the Department of Education’s Legazpi City division, the National Disaster Coordinating Council said Thursday. “Pupil evacuees will hold emergency classes from noon to 6 p.m. Classes will return to normal once the (Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology) announces for the return of evacuees to their own places," the NDCC said in its 7 a.m. Thursday update. It added the pupil-evacuees will follow their usual morning-afternoon schedule at the evacuation center once classes resume. During classes, “the rest of the room occupants (evacuees) will stay in the tent(s) outside the rooms being used as classrooms," the NDCC said. The guideline applies to Albay District, Albay Central School, Buyuan Elementary School, and Matanag Elementary School. In Bugtong Elementary School, pupil evacuees will be integrated with pupils there as the number of children is “manageable" with the regular schedule of classes. At Legaspi Port District II Gogon Central Schools and San Roque Elementary School, emergency classes will be held with an emphasis on content subjects for 250 minutes. Classes there will start from 6:30 a.m. to noon. Occupants of the room will go out to give way to those holding classes. The DepEd Albay’s initial plan was to accommodate the displaced children at big central schools, and hold double shift classes in the host schools. Displaced teachers from affected schools will be tapped to assist the teachers at the “host" schools. As of 7 a.m. Thursday, the NDCC said there were 10,032 families or 47,563 people staying in 29 evacuation centers. - GMANews.TV