At least 731 higher education institutions (HEIs) are opening their academic year 2020 to 2021 through flexible learning this August amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, Commission on Higher Education (CHED) chairman Prospero de Vera III said on Thursday.

“Ito ang pinakamaraming bilang na magbubukas at mayroon ding 186 na magbubukas hanggang Setyembre at Oktubre depende sa kakayanan ng pamantasan na magbukas (This is the highest number [of HEIs] to open and there are 186 that will open until September and October depending on the institutions’ capacity to open),” de Vera said in a virtual public briefing.

In June, he said about 20 HEIs have already started their classes and most of them use the online method of learning.

De Vera said HEIs would be implementing flexible learning — full online, blended, or offline — to protect their students from Covid-19.

He said they are waiting for the approval of limited face-to-face classes.

De Vera said moving the date of class opening as observed by the Department of Education for its K-12 Program from August 24 to October 5 is not applicable for the HEIs.

“Iba-iba ang semestre ng bawat pamantasan, mayroong trimester gaya ng (Each university has different number of semesters, there’s trimester like) La Salle, St. Paul and PWU and Mapua is already quarterly in one year so the IATF’s policy is to allow them to open whenever they can,” he said.

As for the state universities and colleges (SUCs), about 45 percent of the 111 SUCs will open in September.

De Vera also reported that the commission has created PHL CHED Connect – a website of learning materials that can be used by learners and faculty members for their classes. To date, it has 1,609 total contents, 1,356 PDF materials and 353 educational videos. (PNA)