DepEd: All schools to transition to face-to-face classes by November 2

The Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary and Vice President Sara Duterte, in her first order as education chief, asked public and private schools nationwide to transition to five days of face-to-face classes on Tuesday, July 12.

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According to DepEd Order 34, s. 2022, starting November 2, 2022, all public and private schools shall have transitioned to five days in-person classes. After the said date, no school shall be allowed to implement purely distance learning or blended learning except for those that are implementing Alternative Modes.

DepEd said schools will be given plentiful time to slowly transition into five-day face-to-face classes.

They can implement the following options below until October 21, 2022:

1. Five days of face-to-face classes
2. Blended learning- Three days of in-person classes and 2 days of distance learning, or 4 days face-to-face classes and 1 day distance learning
3. Full distance learning

The return to a five-day face-to-face class is mandatory and everybody who’s enrolled should abide and parents are encouraged to ensure that their children go to school,

said DepEd Undersecretary Epimaco Densing during a press briefing.

However, Densing added that if the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases recommends stopping face-to-face learning in case of a surge of COVID-19 cases, the DepEd will strictly follow.

The DepEd order further states that no inspections, tools, or any additional requirements are needed for schools to implement the five-day in-person classes, except for the compliance with the usual pre-pandemic regulatory permits and licenses, as required by law or ordinance.

Regardless of COVID-19 alert levels, the order will be applied to all schools in their respective areas and Regional DepEd directors are equally tasked to determine the guidelines to ensure social distancing within the classroom is strictly followed.

The order to shift to face-to-face classes was issued amid the rise in COVID-19 cases in the country along with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s support to the DepEd’s initiative to resume face-to-face classes.

DepEd said School Year 2022-2023 will begin on August 22 and end on July 7, 2023.