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Dep-Ed now allowing “progressive expansion” of Face-to-Face Classes for Schools

by Kevyn Gohu
February 3, 2022

The Dep-Ed recently released a memo of guidelines for schools to follow for their face-to-face classes.

After 2 years of homeschooling and releasing revised guidelines for it, the Dep-Ed is now pushing for a “progressive expansion” into Face-to-Face (F2F) classes in both private and public schools. That would mean, as long as our kids and the rest of the teachers are vaccinated, they’ll be able to attend physical classes. Before these schools can do that, however, we need to make sure they abided by the Dep-Ed’s guidelines.

Dep-Ed Guidelines to look out for Face-to-Face Classes

Starting February 7, 2022, schools will hold physical classes but only if they have certain parameters. But not all schools will have the same option. Only schools in regions that are currently Lockdown Alert Level 1 or 2 can operate. Currently, the Dep-Ed only allowed NCR (Metro Manila + CAMANAVA), Region II (Cagayan Valley), Region III (Central Luzon), Region IV-A (CALABARZON), and Region VIII (Eastern Visayas) to conduct pilot tests for their face-to-face classes.

But before we enroll our kids in physical classes, we have to check if the schools fulfilled these requirements:

Validation that they complied and passed the School Safety Assessment Tool (SSAT). We usually see this in the form of the Safety Seal on their door.
They received a go signal from their Local Government Unit (LGU) that they can operate.
Teachers are fully vaccinated.
A proper schedule as to how long the kids will stay in the classroom with their teachers.

Parents’ Requirements

But schools aren’t the only ones who have requirements. The Dep-Ed also sent us guidelines too to follow before we enroll our kids in face-to-face classes. Schools will look for a consent form and an assent form. Assent for the children that they are okay with going to school and consent from us that we’re okay with them attending physical classes. As for meals, they won’t be allowed to eat in school unless it’s a “managed recess”. As to what that is, it depends on the school.

Face-to-Face Classes: It’s still our choice

With the Dep-Ed pushing for face-to-face classes, we still have the choice to enroll them or not. Not all of us are comfortable with our kids going into physical classes especially if they suddenly come back with COVID-19. Some schools might even ask us to vaccinate our kids prior to their enrollment. But with registration for our kids’ vaccinations now being available, we now have the choice to go back to traditional learning or continue with our homeschool journeys.