Rep. Bong Belaro of 1-Ang Edukasyon partylist asked the Departments of Health and Education and the Commission on Higher Education to begin physical classes in January and February to senior high school and college students, provided that students and teachers are fully-vaccinated.
SINCE vaccination of children 12 and up will start beginning this October, priorities must be given to students and teachers with co-morbidities, and all those in senior high school and college so these campuses can reopen by January and February, only for those who are fully- vaccinated.
Rep. Bong Belaro of 1-Ang Edukasyon partylist called upon the Departments of Health and Education and the Commission on Higher Education, which are pushing for face-to-face classes especially to SHS and college—to prepare them as workforce—to ensure that full doses of vaccines are given to them.
He also said that those fully vaccinated (which would entail giving out vaccine cards to them) be allowed in the physical classroom setting.
“Now that vaccination is being opened to the younger population, by early next year we will have fully-vaccinated college students and senior high school students. There would be no reason anymore to keep them confined in their homes,” Belaro said.
“Education is more than just reading modules and answering them because a major component is the close interaction of students with each other and with their teachers,” Belaro added.
“When these schools reopen their campuses, cities and towns should also reopen the internet shops, photocopy stalls, barber shops, and cafeterias,” he also said.
Earlier reports in Opinyon said limited face- to -face classes will be held in 120 schools (that would serve as pilot for the reintroduction of physical classroom learning) beginning November 15. (See Limited face-to-face classes in 120 schools start on November 15 )
This was announced by Education Undersecretary Nepomuceno Malaluan during a Senat5e committee meeting on basic education last October 6.
“We start on November 15, the face-to-face classes and tinaon po natin doon sa pilot schools, tinaon po ‘yan natin sa umpisa ng academic quarter two ng ating school calendar,” Malaluan told senators.
He said the limited face- to- face classes will begin in time for the second grading quarter. The pilot implementation ends on January 31. DepEd hopes to have an initial assessment of the run by end December 2021.
DepEd released a tentative list of 59 schools that passed the DoH’s granular risk assessment for the pilot test.
President Duterte approved in late September the holding of limited face-to face classes in areas with minimal risk of COVID 19 infections. The limited run would initially cover 100 public schools and 20 private schools involving Kindergarten to Grade 3 students.
Tags: #DepEd, #DoH, #CHED, #physicalclasses, #fully-vaccinated, #COVID19