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MANILA, Philippines – The government may issue new protocols for the resumption of classes if some areas are still under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) by August 24.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases agreed to resume classes on August 24 with the premise that all areas would be under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) by then.
In an interview on dzBB, Roque said that the Department of Education’s Basic Education Continuity Learning Plan (DepEd), as adopted by the IATF, did not distinguish between class resumption guidelines for the ECQ and GCQ areas.
“There is no distinction for now. We assume we will be at GCQ before August 24. But if the ECQ is maintained, the DepEd will have new guidelines for those areas,” he said.
He said the government was still monitoring the latest developments “but we assume that we will have GCQ before August 24, since that date is still far away.”
Roque made the comments after announcing that classes in public schools would resume before August 24, as approved by the IATF. This means that face-to-face classes in public schools will start only in August.
He noted that private classes could resume in June, but there would be no face-to-face interactions until August 24.
Roque said private schools would use flexible learning methods like online learning, home schooling, or the use of modules. Private schools can only resume face-to-face learning before August 24.
He added that schools could take advantage of alternative learning methods, while suspending extracurricular activities and events that would involve mass gatherings.
“There will also be the cancellation of extracurricular activities where there are large crowds like school sports, journalism on campus, job fairs and others,” said Roque.
The IATF has yet to decide on the fate of the ECQ and GCQ in the country that will expire on May 15.
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