LEGAZPI CITY – The Department of Education (DepEd) in Bicol plans to ‘pilot test’ face-to-face (F2F) classes in 305 public schools in the region once President Duterte gives the green light to do so in low-risk Covid-19 areas.
In a virtual media forum on Wednesday, DepEd Regional Director Gilbert Sadsad said they are just waiting for the final approval of the limited in-school classes in identified rural communities with a low number of Covid-19 cases.
Sadsad said they have surveyed and mapped out schools that would qualify as pilot sites. He, however, said they could not yet release the list of the schools.
Sadsad said under the guidelines, a minimum of 12 and maximum of 20 students would be accommodated in a classroom, which must be installed with plastic partitions or health barriers.
The students must be residing near the selected pilot schools so they would not need to travel, and since classes would be half-day sessions, they would not be allowed to have lunch on-site to prevent them from socializing during the break.
The schools should also have separate entrance and exit passages where alcohol and sanitizers must be available. The teachers, for their part, have been instructed to ensure the strict observance of health protocols such as the wearing of face mask, physical distancing, and avoid mass gatherings. (PNA)