Department of Education (DepEd) spokesperson Michael Po said 94 percent of public schools in the National Capital Region (NCR) resumed five-day in-person classes on Wednesday, more than 2 years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Citing the NCR regional director, Poa said these public schools are now operating at full capacity, meaning 100 percent of their students have come back to study in their respective schools, GMA News reported.
The official said so far, the return of the mandatory face-to-face classes in public schools starting November 2, has been orderly.
The DepEd is also waiting for updates from their regional offices regarding the situations in schools in other parts of the country.
Earlier, the DepEd disclosed that there is still a shortage of classrooms and teachers in several public schools, but said the implementation of the five-day full face-to-face classes would still push through.
A pediatrician meanwhile raised concern regarding the voluntary wearing of face masks in classrooms amid the full implementation of face-to-face classes.
Dr. Benito Atienza, vice president III of the Philippine Federation of Professional Association, advised the continued wearing of masks in schools as there are classrooms without proper ventilation while others are too small and social distancing is difficult to follow.
“It’s risky. There should only be 25 students in a classroom, but there are more than 40 students now. Also, our real problem is the ventilation. Air in classrooms should be coming in and out. We can see that that is not being followed in some schools,” he said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview.
The DepEd confirmed on Tuesday that students and teachers attending face-to-face classes may now opt to remove their face masks even in classrooms, in accordance with the existing national policy on the optional masking indoors and outdoors.
The government should also include schools in areas where the wearing of face masks is still mandatory, like healthcare facilities, medical transport vehicles, and public transportation, Atienza said.
Atienza emphasized that face masks not only help prevent children from acquiring COVID-19, but also other infectious diseases like pneumonia and influenza.
A group of parents also made an appeal to the DepEd to reconsider its decision allowing students to remove their face masks while inside classrooms.
Lito Senieto, executive vice president of the National Parent-Teacher Association Philippines, said their group has so far supported all of the DepEd’s decision for the safe return of in-person classes, ABS-CBN News reported.
“With regard to the optional wearing of face mask, this must be studied. First of all, our student-classroom ratio is 40:1 for the elementary level. For those in high school it’s 50,60, even up to 80 students per classroom for some schools,” he said.
“So, we see that students are still seated close together in classrooms.
Senieto also said that some classrooms still lack ventilation.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has approved the voluntary use of face masks in both indoor and outdoor areas despite the continued threat of COVID-19. The DepEd said Tuesday it will follow Malacañang’s order.
UNICEF Philippines meanwhile urged the Philippine government to keep the momentum on learning recovery as classes go on full face-to-face modality today.
Since the first day of the new school year in August, children in preschool and basic education have gradually returned to school to learn and interact with their teachers and classmates. Willie Casas