Classes In Public Schools Resume
While most college and university students are still enjoying their semestral break, students in public grade schools had to go back to classes, as Jan. 2 was not declared a holiday.
Classes in public elementary and high schools resumed on Thursday, Jan. 2, after almost two weeks of holiday break.
While most college and university students are still enjoying their semestral break, students in public grade schools had to go back to classes, as Jan. 2 was not declared a holiday.
“Classes resume today (Jan. 2). Learners, as you welcome the New Year, prepare yourselves for new experiences and knowledge,” the Department of Education (DepEd) said in Filipino in a Facebook post on Thursday.
The agency cited in its post DepEd Order 009 s. 2024 (academic calendar for school year 2024-2025), which set the Christmas break in all public elementary and high schools on Dec. 21 and the resumption of classes on Jan.2. The same order set the end of classes on April 15.
The DepEd earlier said that DO 009 was in accordance with Republic Act No. 7797, which lengthens school calendar from 200 class days to not more than 220 class days.
Though not mandatory, private schools and state and local universities and colleges (SUCs/LUCs) offering basic education may adopt the academic calendar set by the DepEd.
In compliance with DO 009, several public schools nationwide announced in their respective Facebook pages the resumption of classes on Thursday. Among them were the Commonwealth High School in Quezon City; Tanay Senior High School in Tanay, Rizal; Moonwalk National High School in Parañaque, Tarlac National High School in Tarlac City, Lolomboy National High School in Bulacan; and, Doña Asuncion Lee Integrated School in Mabalacat, Pampanga.
Several private schools, on the other hand, have set for Jan.6 the resumption of their classes. Among them are the Malate Catholic School in Manila, Angel Presence Foundation School in Caloocan City, several Montessori School branches nationwide, Holy Cross Colleges branches nationwide for their elementary and high school departments, St. Christopher Academy in Nueva Ecija and the Kabankalan Catholic College in Kabankalan in Negros Occidental for their basic education units.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara earlier admitted that the DepEd was alarmed by the learning loss caused by frequent class suspensions due to typhoons and other calamities.
Angara ordered in November a review of DepEd’s existing policy on class suspension during calamities after the agency found out that up to 36 learning days were lost due to class sus-pensions raised following typhoons and other natural disasters , from the opening of classes on July 29 up to November last year.
Following a month of review, the agency issued on Dec. 23 DepEd Order 022 s. 2024, which still allows the suspension of in-person classes provided that schools implement alternative modes of delivering lessons to students in times of natural and man-made calamities to minimize learning disruptions.
The order specifically requires all public schools and DepEd-operated community learning centers to come up with their respective Learning and Service Continuity Plans, which shall be automatically implemented in times of calamities.
The DepEd said an LSCP must include the school’s identification of suitable Alternative Delivery Modes (ADMs) for different types of disasters and emergencies, “considering local circumstances.” The DepEd said among the ADMs that may be implemented are online classes, modular distance learning, blended approaches or any other alternative modes of delivering lessons.
If online or modular learning is not feasible, the DepEd said school heads, in consultation with the teachers and parents, may schedule make-up classes for all grade levels, except for Kindergarten “to address missed competencies.”
