MANILA – Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) may resume operations on a skeletal workforce in areas not under the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) brought about by the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
In a virtual presser on Tuesday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said this was among the recommendations made by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) subject for the approval of President Rodrigo Duterte.
“Beginning May 4, 2020, higher education institutions (HEIs) shall be authorized to operate within a skeletal workforce in areas not under enhanced community quarantine, only for the purposes of finishing the academic year 2019-2020, to issue credentials to students, and to prepare for flexible learning arrangements for the next academic year,” Roque said in Filipino.
Flexible learning refers to increasing flexibility in the requirements, time, and location of study, teaching, assessment, and certification.
The IATF earlier recommended moving the next school opening to September, subject to the approval of the Department of Education (DepEd).
DepEd, which is eyeing the opening of classes in August, is set to present its recommendations to the IATF in May.
Following some private schools’ intention to start classes in June by implementing a “multi-modal approach”, which includes both face-to-face and online classes, Roque said the IATF recommendation still stands.
“Malinaw po ang desisyon. Yung mga higher education institutions pupuwede lang po sila mag skeletal force para po tapusin ang academic year at para po dun sa tinatawag nilang flexible learning (The decision is clear. Higher education institutions may operate on a skeletal force to finish the academic year and incorporate flexible learning),” he said.
He, however, said should the private schools decide to start with online classes, it could still be covered by flexible learning.
“Pero yung pagbubukas po ng physical opening, hindi pa po pupuwede (So the physical opening of classes is not allowed),” he said.
The Federation of Associations of Private School Administrators (FAPSA) said its member schools are eyeing the opening of classes in June by implementing a “multi-modal approach” to learning.
FAPSA President Eleazardo Kalisag said its member schools have “sound connectivity” that allows students to use gadgets to catch up on their lessons.
Kalisag said the early enrollment also facilitates solving the teachers’ financial handicaps because of the ECQ enforced in March.
FAPSA member schools have almost 3 million students in 3,000 private schools.
(PNA)
