The Department of Education Regional Office III awarded the School Safety Assessment Tool Compliance Certificate or SSATCC to 1,764 public and 7 private schools in the region as part of the Progressive Expansion of Limited Face to Face Classes.
Under the Interim Guidelines on the Expansion of Limited face to Face Classes, all Regional Directors are authorized to continue the implementation of limited face-to-face classes of the original pilot schools, and the commencement of the progressive expansion phase for both public and private schools provided that expansion schools have been validated as compliant with the standards of School Safety Assessment Tool or SSAT.
“The SSAT evaluates the readiness of schools following the four indicators such as Managing School Operations, Teaching and Learning, Wellbeing and Protection, and Home-School Coordination,” said Regional Director May Eclar.
The SSATCC, which affirms that a school has been found compliant to all the four indicators in the SSAT, shall be displayed conspicuously at all entrance points according to prescribed dimensions provided in Regional Memorandum No. 145 s.2022 or the Implementation Guidelines on The Issuance of School Safety Assessment Tool Compliance Certificate for Progressive Expansion of Limited Face to Face Classes.
“The SSATCC is an indication that our schools are prepared to implement limited face to face classes while waiting for the concurrence of their respective local chief executives and the improvement of the health conditions in their area,” added RD Eclar.
The SSATCC is valid for six months from date of issuance and shall be renewable subject to continued compliance of all eligibility requirements which include the following conditions such as schools in areas under Alert Levels 1 and 2 based on the periodic risk assessment by the Department of Health (DOH); validation report of the Division/District Composite Team indicating compliance to the SSAT; and indorsement from the Schools Division Superintendent to the Regional Director.
The SSATCC may be revoked through a valid complaint of willful violation of any of the minimum public health standards or if there is a clustering of COVID-19 cases reported in the school.
The list of public and private schools with SSATCC may be viewed and downloaded at https://region3.deped.gov.ph/ssatcc-schools/.