PH pushes for localized class suspensions amid weather disturbances

The Department of Education (DepEd) is urging local government units to make class suspensions as specific and localized as possible as some schools have lost more than 20 learning days due to disruptions since the opening of the school year.

DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said Thursday that localized suspensions would allow schools in unaffected areas to continue in-person classes while ensuring the safety of learners in areas facing risks.

“Our request is simple: be specific when you suspend. If the risk is limited to certain areas, identifying those areas can help schools in unaffected areas continue learning,” Angara said in a statement.

As of Sept. 11, school divisions nationwide had lost an average of four learning days, although the impact varied significantly across regions and localities.

Central Luzon recorded an average of nine lost learning days, with Pampanga posting 26. In Soccsksargen, the average was 8.4 days, while Sarangani recorded 28. Metro Manila averaged 8.2 days, with Caloocan recording 25.

“The national average does not tell the whole story. Conditions can be very different even within the same region or local government,” Angara said.

He cited Calumpit, Bulacan, where flooding continued to affect some schools while others were being used as evacuation centers. The local government identified the specific schools affected, allowing other schools to resume in-person classes.

DepEd made the call as the government works on a proposed executive order on the suspension and resumption of classes and work in educational institutions.

Under the proposed framework, class suspensions and resumptions may be automatic, localized or granular, depending on the nature and extent of the risk.

As of Sept. 10, 34,775, or 72.49 percent, of DepEd schools nationwide had imposed class suspensions since the start of the school year.

Granular resumption

Angara said safety would remain the priority when local governments impose blanket suspensions, but schools may resume classes on a granular basis once conditions are determined to be safe.

“We are not asking schools to override an LGU suspension. Safety must first be established, and the required coordination or concurrence with the LGU is there to ensure that everyone is working from the same information and that there are no conflicting announcements,” he said.

Under the proposed granular resumption policy, schools would conduct documented, site-specific assessments to determine whether conditions are safe for in-person classes. This would remain subject to coordination or concurrence with the concerned LGU, particularly when a suspension has already been declared.

Angara said the framework aims to prevent conflicting announcements and reduce confusion among learners, parents, teachers and communities.

“This is why the proposed Executive Order provides a more responsive framework for decisions based on actual conditions,” he said.

“Safety first, but when it is safe, we should also protect learning time. The objective is to suspend when and where the risk warrants it, resume when conditions are safe, and keep learning going wherever possible.”