The Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA) said Tuesday schools are not ready for face-to-face classes this school year 2020-2021.
In an interview with GMA News TV’s Balitanghali, COCOPEA managing director Joseph Noel Estrada said DepEd had not consulted the private school sector yet for the conduct of in-person classes in January.
“Ang unang reaksyon namin, ikinagulat namin ito. We’re really surprised. Wala pong naging consultation sa amin in so far as the private education sector is concerned bago po ito lumabas,” Estrada said.
“Kung ganun ang mangyayari, hindi po handa ang mga eskuwelahan dahil hindi po sila naghanda sa ganitong senaryo na within this school school year ay papayagan ang face-to-face,” he added.
Estrada explained that the plans for conducting face-to-face classes this school year should have begun before opening classes so schools could also prepare their resources.
Assuming that no face-to-face classes would be held this school year, many schools already spent their resources to distance learning, the COCOPEA director said.
“Actually, ang itinutulak namin, mapayagan na ang limited face-to-face classes—voluntary din—sa higher education, sa mga colleges and universities,” he said.
COCOPEA: Schools not ready for face-to-face classes this school year
“Sa palagay namin, mas may urgency ito dahil nga may Third Year and Fourth year students na in some courses na merong requirements ng on the job training, internship, practicum,” he added.
President Rodrigo Duterte approved the pilot testing of face-to-face classes in schools located in areas with a low-risk of COVID-19 transmissions in January 2021.
“President Duterte approved during tonight’s Cabinet meeting the presentation of the Department of Education (DepEd) to conduct pilot implementation or dry run of face-to-face classes in select schools within areas with low COVID risk for the whole month of January 2021,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in a statement.
Roque said the dry run begins on January 11 and ends on January 23.
Concerned agencies would then take the last week of January to submit their reports and evaluation regarding the pilot-testing for final recommendation to President Rodrigo Duterte.
According to the DepEd’s timeline, regional directors would need to submit the list of nominated schools to Education Secretary Leonor Briones on or before December 18.