In a new department order, Education Secretary Sara Duterte-Carpio backtracks on her earlier directive by allowing private schools to continue holding full distance or blended learning after Nov. 2.
STATEMENT
The vice president, in Department of Education (DepEd) Order No. 44, gave private schools a range of options for holding classes the rest of school year 2022 to 2023:
“Private schools may continue to implement any of the following options:
a. 5 days of in-person classes;
b. Blended learning modality (with three days of in-person classes and two days of distance learning);
c. Full distance learning.”
Source: Department of Education, DEPED ORDER NO. 44: AMENDMENT TO DEPED ORDER NO. 34, S. 2022, Oct. 17, 2022
The same order retains the mandatory five-day in-person classes for public schools. However, it exempts disaster-stricken public schools, schools that applied for exemption from the requirement with approval from a regional director, and those enrolled in Alternative Delivery Mode programs. (Read: VERA FILES FACT CHECK: Sara Duterte-Carpio flip flops on ‘mandatory’ face-to-face classes by November)
FACT
This is a turnaround from Duterte-Carpio’s first order in her capacity as Education secretary in July when she issued Department Order No. 34, mandating both public and private schools to hold five-day face-to-face classes starting Nov. 2 this year. The same order said “no school shall be allowed to implement purely distance learning or blended learning except for those that are implementing Alternative Delivery Modes.”
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Sources
Department of Education, DEPED ORDER NO. 44: AMENDMENT TO DEPED ORDER NO. 34, S. 2022, Oct. 17, 2022
Department of Education, Department Order No. 034, s. 2022, July 11, 2022
ANC 24/7 Official Youtube Channel, Will face-to-face classes be mandatory by November? VP Sara says still under discussion | ANC, Oct. 6, 2022
(Guided by the code of principles of the International Fact-Checking Network at Poynter, VERA Files tracks the false claims, flip-flops, misleading statements of public officials and figures, and debunks them with factual evidence. Find out more about this initiative and our methodology.)
