THE Department of Education (DepEd) has clarified that private schools and other non-DepEd-supervised schools that have already started their classes, or are scheduled to start classes on August 24 or on other dates ahead of October 5, are allowed to proceed “provided they are strictly using only distance learning modalities and that there are no face-to-face classes.”
In an advisory issued on Saturday (August 15), the DepEd said the decision was reached after conferring with the Office of the Executive Secretary.
“These schools shall submit the relevant documents to the Regional Director as required by DepEd Order No. 7, s. 2020 (School Calendar and Activities for School Year 2020-2021) as well as DepEd Order No. 13, s. 2020 and DepEd Order No. 17, s. 2020 on readiness assessment,” the advisory read.
On Friday, Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones announced the decision of President Rodrigo R. Duterte to defer the school opening for School Year (SY) 2020-2021 from August 24, 2020, to October 5, 2020.
It was Briones who made the recommendation in light of the implications of the imposition of the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in Metro Manila and in the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Rizal and Bulacan.
“This is pursuant to Republic Act 11480, which amended RA 7797, providing that the President, upon the recommendation of the Secretary of Education, may set a date later than the last day of August for the start of the school year in the country or parts thereof in the event of a declaration of a state of emergency or state of calamity.”
As of 5:30 p.m. of August 14, more than 23.28 million enrollees had been listed, or 83.80 percent of the population of School Year 2019-2020.
Of the number, 21.61 million registered to public schools nationwide, while 1.62 million enrolled in private schools.
Image credits: AP/Aaron Favila
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