CITY OF SAN FERNANDO A victory and big achievements for Filipino students and stakeholders
This was how Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte-Carpio described the resumption of in-person classes in public schools across the country, as millions of students trooped back to their classrooms on Monday, August 22.
Carpio said the Department of Education (DepEd) took a brave step in reopening face-to-face classes despite the challenges and fears brought by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We have heard the clamor of some organizations to suspend the opening of classes and just do it in September or October. There are valid and reasonable points made, but what is being discussed here is the future of the Filipino youth. We can no longer make Covid-19 as an excuse to keep our children from their schools,” she said.
The vice president assured that DepEd, together with the Department of Health, has laid down guidelines to prevent learners, and teaching and non-teaching personnel from being infected with Covid-19 in schools.
Carpio added that the Philippines has been reopening just like the rest of the world; citing that the public cannot make the lack of educational infrastructure or the inadequate number of classrooms in other provinces another excuse to keep children from schools.
“We cannot afford to delay the education of Filipino youth any longer. We need to bring them back to in-person learning because with in-person learning, they can get meaningful, adequate, valid, and quality education that they need to cultivate their minds and their ability to become partners of the government in nation-building,” she said.
“Our commitment to basic education must never falter. Our children deserve to have this memorable moment— the first day of school experience where they start to build their dreams,” Carpio said.