Face-to-face class in Metro Manila difficult – Briones

MANILA, Philippines — Even with a policy allowing limited face-to-face classes starting January, Education Secretary Leonor Briones believes this would be difficult to implement in schools in Metro Manila due to the current general community quarantine.

Limited face-to-face classes, she said, would not be for all as strict guidelines and standards would have to be followed before a school is allowed to physically reopen starting next year.

Before it could be allowed to operate under a limited face-to-face setup, Briones said a school should be in a low-risk area or those under modified general community quarantine.

She said some international schools expressed readiness to comply with the requirements of the government, “but we said we have to inspect their facility (first).”

President Duterte on Monday approved the DepEd proposal to allow limited face-to-face classes in low-risk areas in the third quarter of the school year or starting January.

Resumption of classes through different distance learning modalities would proceed as planned on Aug. 24.

Sen. Bong Go reiterated his stand not to allow face-to-face classes as much as possible as the start of the school year draws near amid the coronavirus disease pandemic.

“Let me reiterate: No vaccine, no face-to-face as much as possible. It is important for the kids to study in ways where they will not be exposed to disease,” Go, chair of the Senate committee on health, said in English and Filipino.

Go said he remains firm in his earlier pronouncements that physical classes must not proceed without the availability of a vaccine. Instead, he urged the DepEd to pursue other modes of conducting classes that can still comply with health and safety protocols.