With teachers and students all vaccinated, QR codes ready, signages on health and safety protocols in place, Kananga National High School (KNHS) in Leyte is ready to join other schools in Region 8 that will bring back in-person limited face-to-face classes.
Face-to-face classes
After holding online classes for more than two years due to COVID-19 pandemic, DepEd regional office has confirmed that more than 60 schools in Eastern Visayas are already holding limited face-to-face classes following the health and safety protocols set by the DepEd central office and Department of Health.
DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones, early this month, stressed that President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is favoring the expansion of limited face-to-face classes in all areas under Level 2 restrictions.
Areas under Level 2 are considered low risk- where case transmission and healthcare utilization are low.
However, Briones emphasized that pending issuance of a Revised Joint Memorandum for the expansion of limited face-to-face classes, still, the DepEd-DOH’s Joint Memorandum Circular 001, s. 2021 shall govern this directive.
The said joint memorandum was crafted to specify the operational guidelines on the implementation of limited face-to-face learning modality, including enough supply and availability of personal protective equipment, ventilation, sanitation, detection and referral, coordination, contact tracing, and quarantine measures.
Local response
Meanwhile, to address the call of the national government to expand in-person classes under a limited face-to-face setting, the newly appointed KNHS principal Dr. Isidore Vicente Villarino is immediately taking appropriate actions.
Villarino said KNHS is ready to open limited face-to-face classes. He stressed that all the health and safety protocols are already in place and that the school’s QR code system both for students and teachers to be used for contact tracing is up and running as well.
Also, the needed health and hygiene supplies for students and teachers are ready for distribution.
Villarino informed that the QR system of the school will be utilized to track all persons who will get in and out of the school premises.
Those who are not registered in the system will be flagged and proper authentication, including the search for vaccination cards, will be effected.
He further pointed out that all students and teacher at KNHS are already registered to the system and that the server is also ready to receive scanned QR reports.
Most prepared
Villarino likewise bragged that all teachers at KNHS are among the most prepared in the region when it comes to providing limited in-person classes after attending a series of relevant seminars and training.
He also assured the parents as well as the students that the school is ready should there be problems arising during the run of the limited face-to-face classes.
He stressed that the resources are in place and the plan is already ironed out for any worst case scenarios. But of course, he said, that he is hoping for the best outcome.
Set-up
Asked regarding the context of the limited face-to-face classes, Villarino said that each class will be divided into two groups- one in the morning session and the other will be in the afternoon.
But if in case the number of students exceeds making maintaining social distancing impossible, there will be another round of students who will attend the class the following day.
Meanwhile, since only those vaccinated students are allowed to participate in the limited face-to-face classes, Villarino said that students who are not vaccinated yet will have to continue with the blended learning modality or the modular class set up.
Based on the official data gathered by OpinYon 8, KNHS got 2,628 enrollees for junior high and 882 students enrolled in senior high for the school year 2021-2022.
Guidelines
KNHS administration is confident that it met all the requirements stipulated in the Interim Guidelines on the Expansion of Limited Face-to-Face Classes, released February 1.
The said guidelines specified the School Safety Assessment Tool that all schools must comply with if they want in-person limited face-to-face classes to resume. Also, it required all schools to procure concerned local government’s concurrence, secure parents’ consent and got approval from the barangay prior to the onset of limited face-to-face classes.
Learners’ Side
OpinYon 8 news team also heard the side of KNHS students regarding the impending opening of limited face-to-face classes and most of them favor the said move.
One grade 10 student who wished to be named Imee, said: “Okay ra kaayo sir, pabor ko nga naay limited f2f classes kay daghang mga studyante ang gusto makat-on nga maestro ug maestra jud mismo ang magtudlo sa amoa sa atubangan ug labi na sa amoang mga grade 10 nga upcoming senior high sir”.
(It’s very much okay, sir. I am in favor of the limited face to face classes to resume because a lot of students want to learn in front of their teachers, most especially to us upcoming senior high, sir).
Meanwhile, Klint, a grade 10 student, said that there is no need to resume classes not unless the threat of Covid-19 is totally eradicated. ‘It is so dangerous for students as well as for the teachers,’ the student stressed.