VP Sara says August 22 school opening final, approved by Marcos

The start of School Year 2022–2023 on August 22 is final, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte said Thursday, amid calls for its postponement.

"Iyong school year po natin ay approved na ng Pangulo, August 2022 to July 2023 (Our school year, which will be from August 2022 to July 2023, has already been approved by the President)," Duterte told reporters.

She was responding to the Teachers Dignity Coalition's call to move the school opening to give more time for the teachers and learners to prepare for in-person classes.

The combined in-person classes and distance learning will be implemented from August to October, while the five-day face-to-face classes will start in November, Duterte said. 

She said schools can safely open now since health protocols have been in place for the last two years.

"The difference now is we know the health protocols by heart, we have vaccines and we have a lot of supply of it, and we have COVID-19 medicines," Duterte said.

"Wala na po tayong aantayin (We need not wait for anything)," she added. 

In light of studies indicating that students suffered learning loss during the distance learning program adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic, Duterte emphasized the necessity of starting in-person classes as soon as possible.

"We cited studies when we presented our plan to the President. Published papers are there...[showing that] really, truthfully, there are learning losses among children if they are limited to attending online classes or distance learning [where they study at home]," she said.

"That was the research paper's conclusion, and the same also showed that it (learning loss) is more pronounced among learners at disadvantaged homes. That means, it is really the worst doon sa ating pamilya na naghihirap (It is really the worst situation for poor households)," she added.

DepEd Order 34, which allows the resumption of in-person classes, does not mandate a specific number of students allowed inside a classroom, but "physical distancing shall be observed whenever possible."

"We made such consideration because we do not want to add burden to our schools," she said. —KBK/VBL, GMA News