by Isabella Magno

Under DepEd Order No 034 s. 2022, The Department of Education (DepEd) mandated all public and private schools to implement five days of in-person classes starting November 2. 

The said memorandum that was made public Tuesday, July 12, also includes the academic calendar for the upcoming School Year (SY) 2022-2023, in which it was stated that the SY will begin on August 22 and will end on July 7 next year.   

According to the memo, schools are given “ample time” to “gradually transition” to full in-person sessions since they are allowed to choose between three modalities from the opening of classes to October 31.

The three modalities that schools can apply between August 22 to October 31 are as follows:

1. Five-day in-person classes
2. Blended Learning (3 days of face-to-face classes and 2 days of distance learning)
3. Full distance learning

On November 2, however, all schools are required to transition to five-day in-person classes.

“After the said date, no school shall be allowed to implement purely distance learning or blended learning except those that are implementing Alternative Modes,” the DepEd order contained. 

Moreover, DepEd Undersecretary Epimaco Densing said in a press briefing that parents should ensure their children would go to school and that every student enrolled should follow the memo. 

Further, DepEd stated that regardless of the COVID-19 alert level in a particular area, all schools must comply. 

This decision may only be reversed if the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases decides that a particular local government must return to distance learning.

Currently, DepEd regional directors are the ones tasked to determine further guidelines to ensure that social distancing is observed within school premises.

Thumbnail from Althea Natividad