(Eagle News)–Education Secretary Leonor Briones officially declared the start of school year 2020-2021 on Monday, Oct. 5, as the country shifts to a blended learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Today, October 5, 2020, we open our schools. Today, we claim victory over the destroyer, COVID-19,” Briones said, reading from a prepared statement.
According to the Education secretary, “we will not allow COVID-19 to destroy our children’s education and their future.”
“Araw-araw may bagong krisis, bagong problema, at bagong pagkukulang. Paghihintayin ba namin kayong mga mag-aaral, more than 24 million of you? Hindi maaaring pababayaan kayo mag-aaral,” she said.
Over 24 million students have so far enrolled for the school year despite COVID-19 that has prompted the DepEd to think of other ways to distribute the learning modules.
Under a blended learning, parents and students may choose the mode of delivery of the learning instruction, depending on the availability of their resources.
The DepEd has also said support learning aides would be hired to assist teachers in some DepEd school divisions.
“Gusto ko lang din i-emphasize kasi na kailangan talaga sa division level ma-profile mga learners at kanilang mga magulang para malaman ang pangagailangan para sa LSA. Tututukan natin ang mga learners na medyo nahihirapan naman o di kaya walang kakayanan ang pamilya na gabayan ang mga anak sa kanilang pag aaral,” Undersecretary for Planning and Bureau of Human Resource and Organizational Development Jesus Mateo earlier said.
The DepEd said the school division offices that need LSAs have been advised to urge teachers who haven’t been given a permanent position for SY 2020-2021 to apply for the job.
Mateo said LET passers, private school teachers, especially those who lost their jobs during the pandemic, and teachers whose contracts were not renewed may apply as well.
Those who are at least a senior high school graduate, or who have had at least two years of college may apply as well, the DepEd had said.
President Rodrigo Duterte earlier said no face-to-face classes would take place absent a COVID-19 vaccine, noting the need to protect children from the disease that has so far claimed over 5,000 lives in the country.