Rody Oks Face-To-Face Classes In Low-Risk Areas

After initially opposing the physical reopening of schools in the absence of a vaccine for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), President Duterte has approved the proposal of the Department of Education (DepEd) to allow limited face-to-face classes in low-risk areas starting January 2021.

- Janvic Mateo

DepEd said the President has expressed support for the proposal, presented by Secretary Leonor Briones in a meeting at Malacañang on Monday.

“I’m with you on this,” the President told Briones. “You know, education is the future of the children. They have to finish a course so they can live.”

In making the proposal, Briones said they have received queries from local chief executives, legislators, private and international schools and other education stakeholders on whether the conduct of limited face-to-face classes in areas deemed safe may be allowed.

Briones clarified that parents may choose not to allow their children to join face-to-face sessions if they think it would be risky to do so.

“Our thrust right now is blended learning. If parents do not want face-to-face, they can do it online. If there is a problem with connectivity, we have television and radio. If the parents and children are living in far-flung areas, we can have what we call IBM or ‘it’s better manual.’ We can use our reading materials and deliver them to the children,” she said.

Briones said advantages of allowing limited face-to-face classes include familiarity of teachers and learners with the traditional learning modality, lower administrative costs, reduction of inequality gaps posed by distance learning and positive impact of physical social interaction to the learning process.

Disadvantages, meanwhile, include increased health risks to learners, teachers and personnel and additional administrative costs for complying with health standards.