President Rodrigo R. Duterte has given the Department of Education (DepEd) the green light to proceed with the school year beginning August 24, 2020, using blended or distance learning modality.
Speaking before the Inter -Agency Task Force, Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones assured Duterte that alternative ways of learning will be adapted “until physical attendance in school is determined to be safe.”
“What we are saying Mr. President is that, we fully and completely support your stand that our children should not be exposed to the dangers of Covid-19 physically but we are offering opportunities for them to continue their studies and learnings,” Briones stressed.
“We seek your approval of our alternative ways of learning,” Briones appealed to the President.
After the presentation of Briones, Duterte said, ” I am impressed.” He also expressed that he will give his full support, even financial, to the DepEd.
“I’m impressed with the simplicity of the program, Ma’am. I believe that all you have shared is feasible. I believe you have a very workable program and I support you. Should you require any help from any of the departments, feel free to communicate with them,” Duterte said
As for the funding Duterte quipped, ” We will scrape the bottom of the barrel.”
“We will have to forego many things along the way because of what happened,” Duterte said on a serious note as he underscored the importance of education.
“The future of the country depends on how “we educate people nowadays.”
In seeking the approval of the President, Briones reiterated that, DepEd is one with the President in his non-negotiable commitment for the health and safety of the learners, teachers and staff.
“It is the first and most important principle of our Basic Education-Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP) which details learning opportunities in the time of Covid-19. We can still provide learning opportunities to our students, without requiring them to come to school, through blended and distance learning,” Briones added.
The blended/distance learning approach will be consistent with the President’s preference that we do not send our children to school until it is safe to do so.
Lessons will be delivered to the students in the comfort and safety of their homes, through the following methods:
- Printed or digital modules delivered to the homes of the students, or picked up by their parents at designated places, within coordinated schedules;
- Online learning resources such as the DepEd Commons; and,
- Television or radio-based instruction.
“Even in this time of crisis, DepEd can still fulfill its constitutional duty of delivering quality basic education, and this can be done in a manner consistent with the President’s directive,” Briones explained.
The DepEd chief also stressed that enrollment will be voluntary, and “we will respect the decision of parents if, despite being offered blended/distance learning, they still decide not to enroll their students in the coming school year by reason of Covid-19.”
Image credits: Nonoy Lacza
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