DESPITE the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the county, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) yesterday said phase 2 of its limited face-to-face classes in areas under alert level 2 and 3 will continue as planned this month.
CHED Chair Prosperto de Vera III, however, said universities participating in the program need “to follow the instruction of Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) and Department of health (DOH) to ensure the safety of our students, teachers, and other workers on education.”
De Vera said phase 2 of the implementation of limited in-person classes for all programs of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in areas under Alert Level 3 should begin on January 31, a Monday.
In Metro Manila, he said limited face-to-face classes will start only by February as decided by all the public universities in the region, which want to monitor and study the surge of COVID cases in the region.
He said that HEIs located in areas under Alert Level 2 may start limited face-to-face classes anytime.
He added that HEIs in Region 8, Caraga Administrative Region, and Cebu still repairing their facilities due to typhoon Odette can start face-to-face classes next school year.
“HEIs intending to hold limited face-to-face classes during the COVID-19 pandemic must be willing to assume the responsibilities for the reopening of their campuses based on their capability to comply with the health and safety protocols, to retrofit their facilities, and to get the support of their stakeholders,” De Vera said.
The CHED started implementing limited face-to-face classes last September in specific degree programs such as medical related courses.
Meanwhile, the Department of Education Philippine history is being taught under the K to 12 curriculum, contrary to what it said were misleading claims.
“Contrary to recurring misleading and reckless claims, the current DepEd administration, led by Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones, did not remove Philippine history from the curriculum,” DepEd said in a statement. — Noel Talacay
