There is a possibility that schools will be able to hold in-person graduation ceremonies for the School Year (SY) 2021-2022.
This is if the COVID-19 pandemic situation in the country continues to improve and the existence of loose restrictions.
“That’s a possibility. Medyo hindi pa naman ngayon ‘yan, sa Hunyo pa ‘yan,” said DepEd Undersecretary Nepomuceno Malaluan, in a radio interview this Sunday.
In this regard, Malaluan also said that it is also possible that the opening of SY 2022-2023 will start earlier if the situation in the country continues to improve.
Malaluan said they would make a recommendation and plan based on their decision, but the next administration will make the corresponding adjustments when the next school year begins.
It will be recalled that SY 2021-2022 started on September 13, 2021, due to the pandemic, and about 25 million students enrolled for it.
According to Assistant Secretary Malcolm Garma on Monday, the Department of Education (DepEd) considers allowing tests to be held in schools in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.
In-person graduation possible in June – DepEd
“Sa ngayon, inaayos pa natin yung ating guidelines para po diyan. Pero bukod po sa mga klase, isa po sa tinitignan natin na puwede ring gawin ngayon ay yung pagsasagawa ng mga examination,” Garma said.
(Right now, we are still working on the guidelines for that. But aside from classes, one of the activities that we are looking at is holding examinations in schools.)
Garma used the conduct of “large-scale assessments” like the Programme for International Student Assessment as an example (PISA).
“For example, yung ating mga large-scale assessment katulad ng PISA o paglahok natin sa PISA. So yan po yung isa sa mga kinokonsidera na puwede na po nating gawin sa loob ng eskwelahan,” he said.
(For example, our large-scale assessment like PISA or our participation in PISA. That is one of the activities that we consider that we can do in schools.)
When asked about the DepEd’s timing for this, Garma noted that schedules are still being finalized because the operations will be completed in batches. However, according to him, it might begin in March.
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