The Department of Education (DepEd) is looking into the conduct of examinations in schools apart from face-to-face classes, an education official said Monday.

In a television interview, Assistant Secretary for Field Operations Malcolm Garma said they are currently working on the guidelines for the in-person classes and school activities.

“For example, yung ating mga large-scale assessment katulad ng PISA [Programme for International Student Assessment] o paglahok natin sa PISA. So, yan po yung isa sa mga kinokonsidera na puwede na po nating gawin sa loob ng eskwelahan (For example, the large-scale assessment like PISA or our participation in PISA. So, that’s one activity we consider holding in schools),” he added.

Garma noted that the DepEd will conduct the school activities in batches as they are still working on the schedule.

Education Secretary Leonor Briones earlier expressed optimism on the conduct of graduation rites in schools as part of the physical end-of-school-year rites for the academic year 2021 to 2022.

Briones said it will depend on the risk assessment of the regions nationwide which “seems to be improving”.

Unlike the graduation rites pre-pandemic, DepEd Undersecretary for Curriculum and Instruction Diosdado San Antonio said the upcoming ceremonies will be regulated to ensure proper health and safety protocols are maintained.

For almost two years, the DepEd has implemented blended distance learning due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Learners stay at home doing online classes and answering printed learning modules.

Under President Rodrigo Duterte’s approval, the pilot run of limited in-person classes started in November 2021 in select schools in areas classified as low risk for Covid-19 nationwide.

Last week, Briones said a total of 4,295 schools already started face-to-face classes while 6,213 schools are ready for implementation based on the criteria set by the concerned government agencies.

The progressive expansion of the in-person classes commenced on February 22. (PNA)