Mandaue City School Board adopts updated DepEd guidelines on class suspensions

Deped Mandaue City| CDN Digital file photo

MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – The Mandaue City School Board has adopted the Department of Education’s (DepEd) updated guidelines on class and work suspensions during severe weather, earthquakes, and other emergencies.

Dr. Bianito Dagatan, Superintendent of DepEd Mandaue, said the meeting on Tuesday aimed to ensure that all stakeholders are well-informed and aligned with the latest directive.

“The school board includes representatives from the city government, the federation president of the PTA, the president of the Teachers’ Association, and a non-teaching representative. With all sectors represented, they can help disseminate the changes effectively,” Dagatan said.

He emphasized the importance of informing parents about the revised guidelines and noted a key decision made during the meeting. The school board agreed that when the city government declares class suspensions due to bad weather or other conditions, it should specify that only face-to-face classes are suspended.

According to the new DepEd guidelines, learning should continue through alternative methods such as online learning, modular learning, blended learning, or make-up classes to minimize disruptions.

“The goal is to prevent a widening learning gap or, worse, learning loss. A learning gap means a difference between expected and actual learning, while learning loss refers to the complete loss of acquired knowledge,” Dagatan explained.

He also stressed the need to maintain the school calendar. “With this directive, we must ensure compliance with the required school days. From the standard 200 days, we may extend to 210, but it should not be reduced,” he added.

The revised DepEd Order No. 22, series of 2024, issued in December, outlines updated procedures for class and work suspensions during emergencies. It aims to prioritize the safety of students, teachers, and personnel while maintaining educational continuity.

The guidelines apply to all public schools and DepEd-operated Community Learning Centers under the Alternative Learning System (ALS). Private schools and ALS providers may choose to adopt them voluntarily.

Class suspensions may be declared due to various circumstances, including torrential rain, flooding, landslides, earthquakes, power outages, extreme heat, low air quality, and other hazards. In such cases, school heads have the authority to suspend classes based on local conditions and community assessments.

Automatic class suspensions also apply in disaster-affected areas based on government or weather advisories. For example, if a Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal (TCWS) is issued, classes are suspended accordingly.

Local government units (LGUs) may also suspend classes within their jurisdictions in consultation with DepEd, considering specific local conditions.

The guidelines outline distinct procedures for different education levels.

Under the previous rules, all Kindergarten to Grade 12 and ALS classes were automatically suspended in areas under any TCWS.

Under the updated guidelines, only Kindergarten classes are automatically suspended under TCWS 1.

Under TCWS 2, in-person classes from Kindergarten to Grade 10 are suspended.

However, Elementary and Junior High School students will shift to modular learning or make-up tasks based on their Learning and Service Continuity Plans (LSCP).

These measures ensure that students continue learning despite class suspensions while prioritizing their safety during emergencies.

RELATED STORIES

DepEd revises suspension guidelines to address learning disruption

3 schools in Mandaue shift to modular distance learning on Monday