The Department of Education (DepEd)-Region 12 has stepped up preparations for the pilot of the limited face-to-face (F2F) classes in five public schools in the region starting Nov. 15.
Dr. Carlito Rocafort, DepEd-Region 12 director, said on Tuesday the selected schools are working on the necessary systems and requirements for the traditional classroom-based classes amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
These are the Bato Elementary School in Makilala and Paco National High School in Kidapawan City, North Cotabato; Ned National High School in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato; Nelmida Elementary School in Koronadal City; and, Aspang Elementary School in this city.
He said they earlier endorsed at least 24 schools in the region for the initiative but only five were so far approved.
“As of now, we are getting ready and we will be opening the face-to-face classes in the five schools but on a limited basis,” he said in a briefing.
Rocafort said they are specifically in the process of preparing the concerned schools based on the assessments and requirements set by their central office, the Department of Health (DOH), and the World Health Organization (WHO).
He said the selected schools are in areas that are considered low-risk to Covid-19 based on the recorded infections since last year.
The official said their inclusion was approved after initially passing the agency’s school safety assessment.
He said DepEd central office and the DOH have set at least four requirements for a school’s eligibility to hold the limited face-to-face classes.
These are the concurrence and approval from the local Inter-Agency Task Force against Covid-19 as well as the city, municipal, and barangay governments; permit or consent from parents; the participating teachers are fully vaccinated; and, the schools are ready based on the DOH protocols.
“These schools have completed these requirements already,” Rocafort said.
Some of the schools endorsed by DepEd-12, especially those based in Sarangani, were excluded from the Nov. 15 reopening due to lack of concurrence from concerned local government units.
Rocafort said the upcoming classes will only be limited and will cover the Kinder to Grade 3 levels in the elementary and Grades 11 and 12 or senior high school in the secondary.
He said studies by the WHO and other reliable organizations showed that learners in these grade levels have higher immunity against Covid-19.
“This is a limited undertaking. We will be on the pilot mode and the participating learners are only those permitted by their parents,” he said. (PNA)
