Vaccinated teachers, students eyed for expanded face-to-face classes — DepEd

During the expansion phase of face-to-face classes, the Department of Education (DepEd) said that only teachers who were vaccinated against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) will be allowed to participate while preference will also be given to students who already received the jab.

“Only vaccinated teachers may participate in the face-to-face classes, and vaccinated learners shall be preferred,” Education Secretary Leonor Briones said in the “Interim Guidelines on the Expansion of Limited Face-to-face Classes” dated Feb. 2.

After getting the approval of President Duterte of DepEd’s recommendation for progressive expansion in January, Briones has directed regional directors to continue the implementation of limited face-to-face classes of the original pilot schools.

Aside from the vaccination status of students and teachers, DepEd also set issued parameters for the progressive expansion phase that both public and private schools should comply with.

As stated in the interim guidelines, DepEd said that only those that have been validated as compliant with the standards of School Safety Assessment Tool (SSAT) will be considered as “expansion schools.”

To be able to participate in the expanded phase of limited face-to-face classes, DepEd said that schools must be located in areas under Alert Levels 1 and 2 based on the periodic risk assessment by the Department of Health (DOH).

DepEd stressed that participating schools or divisions must have “secured the concurrence” of the Local Chief Executive in the City or Municipality where the expansion school is located.

Likewise, the expansion schools must also have taken the “proper coordination” with their respective barangay officials.

DepEd said that expansion schools will be given flexibility in “contact time for teaching and learning, provided that meals are not taken in school except during managed recess.”

Expansion schools, DepEd explained, may also include other grade levels based on their capacity.

READ: https://mb.com.ph/2022/02/03/deped-expanded-face-to-face-classes-to-include-other-grade-levels/

More importantly, DepEd reminded that the students participating in the face-to-face classes “must have the written consent of their parents.”

DepEd said that the main protocols and standards in the DepEd-DOH Joint Memorandum Circular 001, s. 2021 shall “remain applicable as appropriate.”

This, DepEd added, is until a Revised Joint Memorandum along with the DepEd implementation guidelines is issued which will contain the details of the implementation of the expansion phase.

Meanwhile, Regional Directors were also directed to ensure that all schools are assessed for readiness using SSAT.

They are also expected to “take appropriate steps to address the challenges encountered by schools” in complying with the SSAT standards.

READ:

DepEd allows ‘progressive expansion’ of face-to-face classes for public, private schools