MANILA – The Department of Education (DepEd) reaffirmed on Wednesday that learners do not need a coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccination card to enroll in the country’s progressive expansion of limited in-person classes.
However, DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones, clarified that instead of a vaccination card, students will need to submit a written consent from their parents.
“It is not necessary and we don’t want to deprive children of this opportunity, pero (but) the teachers, we prefer them to be fully vaccinated… or undergo the usual tests to make sure our children will not be exposed,” she said.
They are also in constant coordination with the Department of Health and local government units for any developments on the alert status of different areas in the country, Briones said.
Moreover, DepEd Assistant Secretary Malcolm Garma emphasized that although they are in full support of pediatric vaccination, they do not want to force it to students given the limited supply of vaccines for children.
“We are campaigning of course, but we are not insisting on it,” Garma said.
To guarantee a safe learning space amid the transition to the new normal, the DepEd noted that physical distancing, wearing of face masks, and access to proper sanitation play vital roles.
Briones advised parents and students to brace themselves for the expected global shift in learning methodologies, noting that the progressive expansion of limited face-to-face classes under the new normal will be distinct from pre-pandemic settings.
“The face-to-face that we are implementing is not going to be like the face-to-face that you are used to, where you are with the teacher, where the children move around as they please. The world will be different, much how the world operates including the Philippines will be online, will use a very high level of technology, so our children have to be prepared, not only by face-to-face but also they have to prepare for online, for technology, for the advances in science and technology,” she added.
Meanwhile, 14,396 public and private schools — that will be home to 2,600,773 learners — have been nominated for inclusion in the progressive expansion, as of March 22.
As of now, a total of 10,196 (9,994 public; 212 private) schools are already conducting limited face-to-face classes.
