DepEd: 90% of over 47K public schools ready for in-person classes

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THE Department of Education yesterday said 90 percent of over 47,000 public schools nationwide are expected to hold face-to-face learning when classes start on August 22.

“In the prior year, only 76 percent were prepared to do this,” DepEd Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III said in a press briefing at the Bulwagan ng Karunungan at the DepEd main office in Pasig City during the launching of this year’s Oplan Balik Eskwela Command Center.

The DepEd earlier set the formal start of in-person classes in November but during the interim period — from August 22 up to October 31 — schools that have prepared their classrooms and other facilities to welcome students will be allowed to do so.

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Before she stepped down, former DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones said more than 80 percent of all public schools in the country are compliant with the physical distancing requirements for face-to-face classes like handwashing facilities and proper ventilation of their classrooms.

Densing said majority of private schools will still do blended learning until October 31.

“But some of them intimated they want to do face to face learning when classes resume,” he added.

Densing also said that only schools located in the National Capital Region and other highly urbanized cities will implement double or triple shifting of classes to accommodate the huge number of students.

DepEd Undersecretary for Field Operations Revsee Escobedo, meanwhile, said 37,000 public school teachers have yet to be vaccinated against COVID-19, adding this is a small percentage of the 640,000 total numbers of teachers nationwide.

Densing said the standard student-classroom ratio in most areas of the country stands at 35 to 1, as against the 68 to 1 ratio in Metro Manila and Calabarzon.

“The shifting of classes will mostly be in NCR and several highly urbanized cities since in general, the DepEd has already met the standard student per classroom ratio of 1:35. On average, the ratio is at 1:29,” said Densing.

Densing added the DepEd is carefully monitoring the situation in areas with large populations to ensure that the number of students per classroom will be manageable.

“We will make sure that only quality education will be delivered to the learners,” Densing said.

Department of Public Works and Highways Assistant Secretary Antonio Molano IV said the department, in coordination with the DepEd, is pressing for the release of additional funding so it can immediately start the construction of more classrooms in the country.

“If the funds are released, we will immediately start the construction of the classrooms,” Molano said in the same press briefing.

Molano said the standard construction timetable for the construction of a five-classroom school building is 145 days, 10-classroom school building at 205 days, and 265 days for a 20-classroom, four-story school building.

Last week, DepEd spokesperson Michael Tan Poa said classroom shortage will remain a problem in some parts of Metro Manila and Calabarzon regions where double or even triple shifting of classes is being eyed by the department.

Escobedo said the department has decided to allow teachers who are unvaccinated to report for work next week but added they have to strictly adhere to minimum health standards as a precaution against the transmission of the virus.

Escobedo said they are still gathering data from their regional offices to determine the number of unvaccinated students.

Last week, Poa said they are coordinating with the Department of Health for mobile vaccination centers and counselling to reach those who are still unvaccinated against the COVID-19 virus.

Poa said it is part of the department’s overall efforts to ensure the safety of teachers, non-teaching staff and students against the deadly virus.

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