MANILA – Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar on Friday assured that his office is “ready and available” to assist the Department of Education (DepEd) in implementing blended learning amid the health crisis.
Andanar gave the guarantee after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the postponement of the school opening initially scheduled on August 24.
“As for the PCOO and its attached agencies, we have always been ready and available to support learning under the ‘new normal’, and have offered the use of our current transmission and communications capabilities in aiding the provision of our public school students and teachers access to the blended learning that will be provided by DepEd, through our government channels,” he said.
In a Palace memorandum issued Friday, Duterte approved the DepEd’s recommendation to move the start of classes in both public and private schools to October 5 from August 24.
The DepEd welcomed Duterte’s decision, which it said would give the department more time to “fill in the remaining gaps” of the school opening.
However, online classes of some private schools that have already begun before August 24 will resume.
Andanar said the deferment of the opening of classes for School Year 2020-2021 would help ensure that all preparations for the adoption of a blended learning set-up for students would be “smooth and successful.”
He added that the move would enable the country to adapt to the impact of the pandemic on the educational system.
“Moving the start of classes from August 24 to Oct. 5, 2020, also provides the government and relevant agencies ample time to fulfill the needs of its teachers, learning institutions, and education authorities when they implement the blended learning system of education come October,” Andanar said.
He said the government’s resolve is to prioritize the safety of teachers and students amid the health crisis.
On Thursday, Education Secretary Leonor Briones said her office has successfully conducted blended learning simulations in more than 500 public schools nationwide.
The restrictions on face-to-face classes have prompted DepEd to resort to different teaching modalities, such as the use of modules, the Internet, television, and radio to continue education in the country.
Briones said about 21.5 million students have enrolled in public schools for the coming school year, while some 1.59 million have signed up in private schools. (PNA)