DepEd: Public school teachers return to work on June 1, physically or virtually

The Department of Education (DepEd) said Tuesday public school teachers would have to return to work, either physically or virtually, beginning June 1 to attend training on alternative learning.

“Ang ating mga teachers ay June 1 pa lang to 30 kasi enrolment period na ito, mag-render na sila ng service whether physically or virtually,” DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones said in a televised briefing.

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(Our teachers will start rendering service, either physically or virtually, on June 1 to 30 since it is the enrolment period.)

“They will undergo capacity building sa mga bagong lessons. Meron tayong mga bagong mga platform more than 5 million na ngayon ang nag susubscribe, itong tinatawag na DepEd commons at saka may mga bago tayong programa para sa mga bata so that they can learn well in school with the guidance of their parents,” Briones further said.

(They will undergo a capacity building for new lessons. We have a new platform that now has more than 5 million subscribers. This is what we call DepEd commons, and we also have a new program for the students so that they can learn well in school with the guidance of their parents.)

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Also read: UP analyst say class suspension until December could slow virus spread

Public school teachers return to work on June 1

There are around 880,000 public school teachers as of 2018. In 2019 meanwhile, about 27.7 million students went back to school, according to DepEd.

DepEd launched DepEd commons, an online education delivery platform, so that learners could continue with their studies amid lockdown brought by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

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The education department earlier announced that the opening of classes would be on August 24, 2020, and targeted to end on April 30, 2021.

DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones said they consulted different stakeholders and surveyed around 700,0000 respondents before coming up with the decision.

“Ang napili nating school opening date ay August 24,” Briones said in a televised Laging Handa public briefing.

(Our school opening date is August 24.)

Briones, however, clarified that this does not necessarily mean that students have to report to school physically. Classes may be conducted virtually in some areas, she said.

As of May 4, the country has 9,485 confirmed cases, 623 deaths, and 1,315 recoveries.