
MANILA – Education Secretary Leonor Briones announced on Monday that 90 public schools will be pushing through the pilot limited in-person classes on November 15.
Briones said in a Palace media briefing that the Department of Education’s (DepEd) goal is for 100 public schools around the country to participate in the limited in-person classes.
The schools are chosen based on various factors, according to Briones, one of which is the risk assessment conducted by the Department of Health-Epidemiology Bureau (DOH-EB).
She stated that the local government units in which the schools are located must allow the pilot limited face-to-face classes to be implemented, that the schools’ facilities must be equipped with water and medicines, and that written consent from the parents of learners who plan to participate is required.
“Ito iyong sinasabi nga natin na first batch, 59, tapos halos everyday ay may nadadagdag na mga schools na nag-qualify, tapos ang ginagawa natin ngayon ay niri-review natin dahil ang policy ay magdagdag tayo ng (This is what we’ve said first batch [of schools], 59, then almost every day qualified schools were added, then we reviewed the policy, and we will add) 20 private schools,” Briones said.
She also mentioned that one international school has submitted a plan to the DepEd on how to undertake limited in-person classes, which the DOH-EB must assess.
Of the 90 public schools identified, 14 schools are in Caraga; 10 schools in Regions 1 (Ilocos); 10 schools in Region 2 (Cagayan Valley); 10 schools in Region 8 (Eastern Visayas); eight schools in Region 7 (Central Visayas), eight schools in Region 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula); eight schools in Region 11 (Davao); six schools in Region 10 (Northern Mindanao); five schools in Calabarzon; and five schools in Region 12 (Soccsksargen).
“So far, in the 90 schools, 93.2 percent personnel are already vaccinated. Iyong (The) personnel, staff, and so on, vaccinated, of course, there is a preference and the parents have also expressed this that they would want vaccinated staff and teachers to attend to their children,” Briones said.
Only 30 public schools out of 59 identified by the DOH will participate in the pilot program, according to DepEd Assistant Secretary Malcolm Garma, as they have passed the DepEd’s school safety evaluation.
Garma stated that the DepEd will continue to seek and examine more schools in order to reach the goal number of schools for the pilot program.