The flag-raising ceremony marking the start of classes on Monday stirred mixed emotions among teachers in Antique, with several of them shedding tears both of sadness and triumph.

DepEd Antique Division Superintendent Felisa Beriong, who admitted that she failed to hold her tears, said it was the second year that they were unable to open the school year with a festive mood.

“Before the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, the opening of classes was like a fiesta in the school,” she said during a virtual press conference.

She said that it used to be that learners, accompanied by their parents, would excitedly come to school to attend their first day of classes.

With the pandemic, only teachers report to schools while parents hurried home after claiming their children’s modules.

Sibalom Central School Principal II Helen Pamolino, who noticed that her teachers were in tears, said they felt mixed emotions as they open another school year despite the challenges brought by the pandemic yet they could not teach their students face-to-face.

“I know you missed your students already,” she told the teachers during the conference.

Dr. Gaudencio Reigo, DepEd Antique chief of Curriculum Implementation, said this school year the DepEd Antique has about 143,000 enrolled students from kinder to senior high school who have opted to have modular classes while 16,762 chose online, 2,887 radio- and television-based, and 18, 297 blended learning.

“Most of the students had opted to have modular classes,” he said.

He added that there are 5,454 teachers at the DepEd Division of Antique who will be handling the students this school year.

These teachers will also be conducting home visits to assist their students who have difficulty understanding their lessons. (PNA)