The danger of face-to-face classes

The Department of Education (DepEd) and Department of Health (DOH) have agreed to pilot face-to-face classes in 120 basic education schools nationwide this coming school year but are subject to the approval of the president.

Out of these 120 schools, 20 are from private schools. DepEd once again applies blended learning with the utilization of television and radio-based learning materials for basic education to supplement the implementation of modular learning.

Many of these proposed schools are located in rural areas, hinterlands, and remote islands in the country. The plan is backed up by the respective LGUs and PTA resolutions.

Central Visayas has 50 schools prepared of which 24 are in Cebu, 12 are located in Cebu Province, Camotes Island, Bantayan Island, Daanbantayan, Bogo City, Toledo City, and Carcar City.

This plan amidst the spread of the more contagious Delta variant in the countryside is remarkable but audacious. The recent surge of cases in the Cebu Province is a strong indication and warning that the virus can attack anywhere in the country regardless of its distance and location.

The increasing COVID-related death in Camotes Island and Sogod, Cebu, among other municipalities place under MECQ are very alarming. It is observed that most people in remote communities are very complacent and don’t follow any more health safety protocols and standards. A lot of people in the province don’t wear masks anymore and don’t practice social distancing. Local LGUs are not very strict in implementing safety measures in their respective locality.

Conducting face-to-face classes in these places endangers the lives of the young learners and the community. If the people in the community are virus-free how about the teachers reporting daily? These teachers who come from far-flung places can be virus carriers whether they are fully vaccinated or not. Vaccination won't guarantee full immunity and protection.

What will happen if people in remote areas are suddenly infected without adequate medical help and assistance? What will happen to the community without emergency equipment, doctors, and hospitals?

Have we not seen enough how this deadly virus can kill people in the cities despite observing health safety protocol and standards? Candles paraded daily on social media in our friends' and relatives' profile photos are a shocking reality of how serious is the threat of COVID-19 and its new variants.

I hope DepEd and DOH will reconsider their plan to hold face-to-face classes even in remote areas this school year. The busy president has already reiterated twice no vaccine for children no face-to-face classes. The pandemic is far from over because the virus is evolving and is so unpredictable. If the president will allow the proposal then the blood of the learners is perhaps on the hands of its proponents.