The DepEd Issues an Order for the Resumption of Five Days of In-Person Classes
By VENUS D. PERO
The Department of Education’s top priorities are quality education and the health and safety of students.
The Department of Education (DepEd) maintains its confidence in the benefits of holding in-person classes to promote academic development and the overall mental health and well-being of the learners. Several published studies point to the undeniable fact that in-person classes remain the best option for basic education.
Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Z. Duterte signed DepEd Order 34, s. 2022, dated July 11, 2022, otherwise known as “The School Calendar of Activities for School Year (SY) 2022–2023.” This order states that the school year 2022-2023 shall formally open on Monday, August 22, 2022, and end on July 7, 2023. It is made up of 203 school days, or as determined by subsequent issuances in the event of changes in the school calendar due to unforeseen circumstances. The number of school days shall solely be dedicated to academics and co-curricular activities. The Implementing Guidelines for the SY 2022–2023 Calendar and Activities are provided in Enclosure No. I to ensure that the number of school days required for curriculum operations and academic-related activities is properly complied with. The conduct of extracurricular activities shall be strictly prohibited. On the other hand, the private schools and state/local universities and colleges (SUCs and LUCs) may implement this school calendar, and they may start their classes no earlier than the first Monday of June and no later than the last day of August.
During the pandemic, schools must gradually reopen for five days of in-person classes and gradually transition to full operational capacity. Further, this is in accordance with the DepEd Secretary’s commitment to the resumption of five days of in-person classes at both public and private elementary and secondary schools, including community learning centers (CLCs) nationwide, despite the health crises brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Furthermore, by November 2, 2022, all public and private schools must have switched to five days of in-person classes. After the said date, no school shall be allowed to implement purely distance learning or blended learning except for those that are implementing alternative delivery modes as provided for in DO 27, s. 2Ol9, entitled “Policy Guidelines on the K–12 Basic Education Program,” and DO O1, s. 2022, entitled “Revised Policy Guidelines on the Homeschooling Program.”
The transition to 5-day in-person classes presents learners with new stressors and challenges. This entails adjustments to the school environment, learning modality, and additional safety protocols, as well as managing the mix of pleasant and difficult feelings. Hence, providing psychosocial support during the first week of the school year is imperative for promoting, protecting, and prioritizing the learners’ socio-emotional well-being and developing their coping skills for this transition. The DepEd Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service (DRRMS) will organize an online orientation and learning session for K–12 teachers on how to conduct psychosocial support activities for learners, using the Psychosocial Support Activity Pack that the office developed with MAGIS Creatives.
In preparation for the opening of classes, enrollment shall be conducted from July 25, 2022, to August 22, 2022, as well as Brigada Eskwela and Oplan Balik Eskwela, which shall be conducted on August 1–26, 2022, focusing on information campaigns and strengthening partnerships that complement the department’s effort to ensure quality basic education.
Therefore, with this order, all teachers and school heads, both in public and private elementary schools, are guided throughout the school year’s activities, both academic and co-curricular, implemented in the Department of Education. ###
