A Department of Education (DepEd) official said online class suspension is possible if there would be power outages due to typhoons amid the coronavirus pandemic.
According to Education Undersecretary Diosdado San Antonio, online learning may still be suspended if there are power outages for students who chose such learning modality.
“Ako personally, ang tingin ko dapat walang pasok sa araw ng bagyo o ‘yung nagre-restore pa [ng kuryente], pero hindi kasing haba ng dati,” he said in a virtual briefing.
He, however, clarified that those under the modular learning modality could continue their learning provided that their home is safe from the typhoon.
“[Only] for those doing online, but for those doing the printed self-learning modules, talagang ‘yung araw lang ng bagyo siguro saka ‘yung araw na nag-aayos pa ‘yung mga bahay pero ‘pag ready na, hindi na extended ‘yung disruption sa pagpasok ng mga bata,” San Antonio added.
The school year 2020-2021 will open in public elementary and high schools on October 5.
DepEd and the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA) earlier rejected some students’ appeal for an academic freeze.
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Online class suspension due to bad weather possible – DepEd
Education Undersecretary for Legislative Affairs, External Partnerships and Project Management Service Tonisito Umali said in an interview on Dobol B as News TV that over 24 million students already enrolled.
“‘Yan ang maaaring tingnan na maraming mga anak na… wala pong gagawin sa gitna ng kanilang pagpapahayag (ng academic freeze),” Umali said.
“Posibleng naninibago pa ang karamihan… kung kaagad na academic freeze ang gagawin natin eh baka mabigat naman po ito masyado,” he added.
Meanwhile, COCOPEA managing director Joseph Noel Estrada said students could suffer learning loss from an academic freeze.
“February pa or March pa ‘yong iba nahinto na ‘yong pag-aaral nila last school year at napakahabang panahon na ang lumipas bago nakabalik ang mga estudyante… Kung sa ordinary times ang isang estudyante nakapag-absent ng isang araw lang, katakot-takot na paghahabol ang kinakailangang gawin para ma-meet ang learning competencies,” Estrada said.