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Physical distancing may be eased in classrooms next school year: DepEd

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Jaehwa Bernardo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="A teacher checks the temperature of students before starting their classes at the Jose Magsaysay Elementary School (JMES) in Makati City on March 30, 2022. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/File" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/tvpatrol/06/20/20220330-covid-makati-school-in-person-class-gc-2857.jpg"/><figcaption>A teacher checks the temperature of students before starting their classes at the Jose Magsaysay Elementary School (JMES) in Makati City on March 30, 2022. <em>George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/File</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA (UPDATE) — The physical distancing rule may be relaxed in schools holding limited in-person classes under the lowest COVID-19 alert level, a move that would allow more students to attend classroom sessions, the Department of Education said Monday.</p><p>The Department of Health has advised DepEd that it could relax the distancing protocol in schools under Alert Level 1, said Education Undersecretary Nepomuceno Malaluan. <br/> <br/>&quot;Ngayon kasi may limitasyon tayo sa [kung] ilang mag-aaral ang maaaring i-accommodate sa isang silid-aralan para ma-observe &#x27;yong physical distancing requirement,&quot; Malaluan said in a televised public briefing. </p><p>(Right now we have a limitation on the number of students that we can accommodate in a classroom to observe the physical distancing requirement.)</p><p>&quot;Sa pagpasok ng bagong school year, ang protocol na ipinaabot sa atin ng Department of Health, maaaring i-relax na &#x27;yong physical distancing kung Alert Level 1,&quot; he said.</p><p>(When the new school year begins, the protocol that the Department of Health relayed to us is that we can relax physical distancing if a school is under Alert Level 1.)</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2085264" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><div style="text-align:center"><em><strong>Video courtesy of PTV</strong></em></div><p>Malaluan said the DepEd was in the process of crafting guidelines for learning delivery in the next school year, which would also determine how blended learning would be implemented.</p><p>&quot;The extent [of blended learning] will be contained in the guidelines. In other words, how many days will be on face-to-face and how many will be allowed for remote learning, as a combination,&quot; he explained.</p><p>Should a potential surge in COVID-19 cases prompt the government to raise the alert level in certain areas, schools are already familiar with the various protocols, Malaluan said.</p><p>Only schools under Alert Levels 1 and 2 are allowed to hold physical classes in basic education.</p><p>&quot;It really works like our storm signal... Alam na ng ating paaralan ang protocols for each of these alert levels,&quot; he said.</p><p>(It really works like our storm signals because... our schools know the protocols for each of these alert levels.)</p><p>As of June 16, 32,787 or 72.66 percent of public schools in the country have started conducting face-to-face classes, according to DepEd data.</p><p>Meanwhile, 1,063 private schools are implementing in-person classes, equivalent to only 8.60 percent of the total number, DepEd data showed.</p><p>The DepEd is eyeing for all schools to hold limited in-person classes during School Year 2022-2023, tentatively scheduled to begin on Aug. 22.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/19/22/deped-eyes-aug-22-opening-for-next-school-year">Aug. 22 opening, &#x27;more face-to-face classes&#x27; eyed for SY 2022-2023</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/30/22/deped-eyes-in-person-classes-for-all-schools-by-next-sy">DepEd expects all schools to hold face-to-face classes in SY 2022-2023</a></li></ul>

The physical distancing rule may be eased for limited in-person classes under COVID-19 Alert Level 1, a DepEd official said.

Physical distancing may be eased in classrooms next school year: DepEd

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Physical distancing may be eased in classrooms next school year: DepEd

Jaehwa Bernardo,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 20, 2022 01:36 PM PHT

|

Updated June 20, 2022 03:37 PM PHT

Read More:

education

basic education

Department of Education

in-person classes

face-to-face classes

physical distancing

School Year 2022-2023

COVID education

COVID schools

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