After more than a year of online distance learning, President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, September 20, 2021, allows DepEd to hold a two-month pilot testing of limited face-to-face classes in 100 public and 20 private schools in low-risk areas.

The following private and public schools shall pass the safety assessment of the Department of Education (DepEd). It involves students in Kindergarten, Grades 1 to 3, and Senior High School and the classes will only be half day every other week.

According to the Department of Education, the students are required to have a written consent from their parents or guardians and the classes are voluntary. Also, schools that will conduct pilot limited face-to-face classes should be approved by the local government.

To ensure safety and proper implementation of health regulations, the schools should follow the guidelines and meet the objectives of the Department of Health (DOH) and the Inter-Agency Task Force For the Management of Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).

President Rodrigo Duterte assures that teachers and staff aged 65 years old and below can join the program regardless of their vaccination status.

At the press briefing, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said that it is not just a problem in education but also in mental health and the economy.

Source: https://www.deped.gov.ph/2021/09/20/on-the-approval-of-the-pilot-implementation-of-limited-face-to-face-classes-in-120-schools/