Ahead of the school year’s scheduled opening this Aug. 24, both the Department of Education (DepEd) and Department of Health (DOH) said they are considering allowing face-to-face classes in a limited capacity for schools in areas considered to be low-risk for COVID-19.
According to Education secretary Leonor Briones, they have been receiving numerous requests to hold face-to-face classes, which was also discussed in a recent meeting with President Duterte.
“We think maybe we could allow limited face-to-face classes in low-risk areas, but students won’t have to be there every day and there must be conditions,” said Briones during the Laging Handa briefing.
DOH secretary Francisco Duque III also agreed with this, saying that in-person classes may be held especially in low-risk areas that have no internet, radio or television access.
Included in the conditions that Briones suggested are having adequate facilities for physical distancing and regular handwashing, enough supply of medicines for students who may exhibit COVID-19 symptoms and access to health facilities.
Moreover, the DepEd secretary said that schools that are not able to follow the health standards will not be allowed to hold face-to-face classes despite being located in a low-risk area.
Students would also only need to show up at school in person once or twice a week. Schedules would also be determined depending on the class size, and Briones said that they are considering a limit of 10 students per classroom only.
“Limiting 10 students to a classroom is aligned with physical distancing as part of the engineering controls. The one entrance, one exit is also good,” agreed Duque.
Physical education classes will also probably be off the list, as Briones noted that it will be discouraged.
Meanwhile, classrooms without air conditioning and with proper ventilation are preferred and those with air conditioning units should not be set lower than 26 degrees Celsius.
“Air conditioning should be at 26 degrees Celsius because the virus spreads easily when a room is closed and the air conditioning is on,” agreed Duque during their recent meeting with the President.
In response, President Duterte directed the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management on Emerging Infectious Diseases to submit proposals for face-to-face classes of up to 10 students.
Meanwhile, recent figures from DepEd showed a continuous decline for enrollment in the upcoming school year.
[READ: Enrollment figures continue to decline for the coming school year]
As of July 15, the enrollment deadline, only 20.11 million public and private school students have enrolled for the coming school year—which is only 72.7 percent of last school year’s record.
Header photo from Inquirer.net
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Writer: YANN MAGCAMIT
