CEBU CITY, Cebu, July 18 (PIA) -- The Department of Education (DepEd 7) is preparing for the opening of classes for school year 2022–2023 on Aug. 22, and the transition to full face-to-face classes starting Nov. 2.
To date, 92% of the total public schools and 35% of the total private schools in Region 7 are already implementing face-to-face classes.
DepEd 7 had already taken measures to ensure the readiness of the teachers, classrooms, schools, and students who will take part in the start of another academic year.
Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, health protocols will continue to be implemented to ensure the health and safety of the students and teachers during the face-to-face classes.
According to DepEd 7, they have already conducted various inspections on the public schools in the region.
They have also finalized the setup for the classrooms for the conduct of the face-to-face classes, as the current requirement calls for a 1.5-meter distance between students in both public and private schools.
The early enrollment period for Kinder, Grade 1, Grade 7, and Grade 11 started in May, where only around half a million students enrolled.
DepEd 7 is expecting around two million learners in Central Visayas for the upcoming school year.
"Ang amo lang gyud ikasiguro as part sa DepEd, labi na ngadto sa mga ginikanan nga ang education kay nagpadayun amid the crisis and amid the pandemic. Because if we stop education, mosamot ang learning gap sa atong mga students. Opening the doors of our schools can create a lot of opportunities not only for education among our learners but also for our economy" said DepEd 7 Regional Director Salustiano Jimenez during the Kapihan sa PIA interview on July 13.
He also clarified that there is no directive requiring the students to be vaccinated before they will be allowed to enter the schools.
Learners can still attend classes even if they are unvaccinated, but Salustiano encouraged the students to get vaccinated to at least eliminate the fear on the part of the parents, as all schools are set to conduct the full face-to-face classes. (RGC/PIA7)
