AROUND 372 public and 10 private schools in Central Visayas are poised to join in the proposed expansion of limited face-to-face (F2F) classes in the region.
Salustiano Jimenez, Department of Education (DepEd) Central Visayas director, told SunStar Cebu that initially, two private schools in Cebu, which are the Sisters of Mary Schools Inc.-Boystown in Minglanilla and the Sisters of Mary Schools Inc.-Girlstown in Talisay City, were given the go signal to start the F2F classes on Monday, Nov. 22, 2021.
“So far, the two schools were able to conduct the F2F smoothly and orderly. There are many schools that applied for the limited F2F from the public schools and a few from the private schools,” he said.
Jimenez said the 372 public schools and 10 private schools are already ready to implement F2F, but it will be up to DepEd’s Central Office in Manila and the Department of Health to decide if they will be allowed to do so.
Jimenez earlier said they advised the respective school division superintendents to prepare all of their schools for the possible F2F implementation.
For public schools, only eight from Central Visayas were allowed to start on Nov. 15. All were from Cebu Province.
These were the Basak Elementary School of Samboan, Cañang-Marcelo Luna National High School of Oslob, Pilar National High School of Pilar, Camotes, Luyongbaybay of Bantayan Island, Mahanlud Elementary School of Malabuyoc, Busay National High School of Moalboal, Cabagdalan Elementary School of Balamban and Siocon Elementary School of the City of Bogo.
Education Secretary Leonor Briones on Nov. 16, 2021 announced the DepEd and Department of Health were given the authority by President Rodrigo Duterte to decide on the next move following the implementation of the F2F classes in the country.