Design by Christian Dave Cuizon
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Department of Education in Central Visayas (DepEd-7) acknowledged the decisions made by Cebu’s local government units to suspend face-to-face classes due to the increasing heat index.
DepEd-7 Director Dr. Salustiano Jimenez emphasized the significance of LGUs coordinating with schools’ division offices and their respective disaster risk reduction offices.
READ: LIST: Face-to-face class suspensions in Cebu due to extreme heat
“[This is] to check nga angay ba gyud siyang i-declare not just because pila na ka mga tawo nga gusto lang mo declare nga walay klasi,” Jimenez told CDN Digital in a phone interview.
Additionally, Jimenez expressed appreciation for the LGUs’ efforts to prioritize students’ well-being by transitioning to modular learning rather than in-person classes.
“At least ang atong LGU are really aware of nga mao na atong pamaagi and at least they really learned a lot from the pandemic, especially now in our implementation in the blended type of learning,” Jimenez said.
During the peak of the pandemic, schools utilized modular learning and online classes instead of face-to-face instruction to protect against Covid-19. Jimenez noted this as a valuable lesson for teachers, demonstrating the effectiveness of various teaching methods.
“Kung naa may interrupt face to face classes, so we shift to the other modality, the online or modular learning,” the DepEd-7 director said.
Learning setbacks
While the pause on in-person classes is temporary, Jimenez noted that the education sector is still working on addressing the learning setbacks faced by students.
He expressed concern that continuing with modular learning might further complicate the recovery process.
“The best way maka learn ang mga bata og klaro ang face-to-face [mode] but we are not discounting ang sa modular kay maynalang na naay modular kay naa gihapoy makat-unan ang mga bata kaysa wala gyud silay makat-onan kung wa silay gibuhat, wala silay module nga ilang buhaton dinha sa ilahang mga tagsa-tagsa ka panimalay,” Jimenez said.
Additionally, he anticipates resuming the school calendar in June, as he believes that public schools in the Philippines are not suited for summer sessions.
ALSO READ: DepEd’s gradual shift to old school calendar gets support
LIVE UPDATES: In-person classes suspended due to heatwave
In February of this year, Jimenez announced in a news forum that the decision to gradually revert to the old school calendar was made after consulting with stakeholders, including teachers, parents, and students. One of the reasons Jimenez cited was the condition of school buildings in public schools.
“If it is the hot season, the heat index will rise to 34 [degrees celsius], the children will already complain [and also] the parents,” Jimenz said in Cebuano.
Currently, the following LGUs in Cebu have suspended face-to-face classes: Asturias, Consolacion, Cordova, Liloan, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, Minglanilla, Naga City, San Fernando, Talisay City, and Toledo City. /clorenciana