BRACE FOR CRISIS. Department of Education Eastern Regional Director Ramir Uytico. The official on Tuesday (June 2, 2020) asked heads of the region’s over 4,000 schools to come up with their learning continuity plan to ensure uninterrupted education amid the health crisis. (Photo courtesy of DepEd)
TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Education (DepEd) in Eastern Visayas has asked the heads of the region’s more than 4,000 schools to come up with their learning continuity plan amid the health crisis.
In a virtual press briefing on Tuesday, DepEd Regional Director Ramir Uytico said school principals are given two weeks to complete their plans anchored on the school’s existing reliable data.
“We asked all school heads to come up with their continuity plan because the real battle happens in the school and not in DepEd offices. School officials and teachers are the main actors of our schools,” Uytico told reporters.
Included in the plan is to identify teachers and learners who have access to the digital platform and other forms of media.
This will help the education department measure the readiness of educators and students to engage in different modalities.
“We want a very simple implementation of this blended learning such as face-to-face and homework. Teachers can simply give students some assignments to be done at home. The use of online is only for enrichment purposes,” he said.
“We are aware that several areas and even some parts of Tacloban City have no access to the internet and mobile phone signals are unstable. We don’t want to hear that a child cannot participate in learning because of these challenges,” Uytico added.
The DepEd regional office recently completed its learning continuity plan in preparation for the opening of classes.
Provincial, city and school-based roadmaps are asked to align their roadmap with the region’s plan.
“I always believe that different areas in the region will have a unique learning continuity plan. No school can say that what the other school does is wrong because school officials know the strength, weaknesses, and situation of their area,” the official said.
School heads are encouraged to consult with mayors and village chiefs to identify blended learning approaches to limit face-to-face interaction.
Earlier, DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones said that apart from the online platform DepEd Commons, blended or distance learning may be delivered through printed modules, radio, television, and other learning systems.
DepEd has registered 1.17 million learners in the Eastern Visayas region enrolled in the academic year 2019-2020 in 4,171 public schools and 300 private schools. Enrollment has started on Monday.
The region is still considered as low-risk in terms of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) transmission. As of Tuesday, the region has 43 confirmed cases with 25 recoveries and zero death. (PNA)
