Philippines Eyes More Localized Class Suspension Rules

The government is studying more localized rules for suspending and resuming classes to reduce unnecessary disruptions to learning, Malacañang said on Thursday, as nearly three-fourths of public schools have experienced class cancellations this school year. Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro said the proposed framework was discussed during the 11th Economy and Development Council meeting on Wednesday, including how suspension decisions could better reflect changing weather conditions. “The proposal is for [announcements] to come from the local government, but there also has to be coordination on what level — red or yellow,” Ms. Castro told reporters at a news briefing in Filipino. She said the government was studying how to prevent conflicting announcements from local governments and the Department of Education (DepEd), particularly when weather conditions change quickly. “So, there needs to be coordination so there will be no confusion on whether the local government will announce it, whether the mayor will announce it, whether the governor will announce it, or whether DepEd will announce it,” Ms. Castro said. President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has called for the guidelines to be completed quickly because weather conditions can change within hours, she added. “The President said yesterday that the weather is changing, especially now, and sometimes the rain suddenly pours or there is suddenly no rain,” Ms. Castro said. “This needs to be done more quickly because more people are affected — children and parents — when there is no immediate announcement.” The government is also considering how to handle situations in which weather improves after a suspension is announced or deteriorates after classes have been allowed to resume, she said. The proposed framework would allow suspension decisions to be based more closely on conditions in affected areas instead of covering a wider locality when the hazard is confined to particular communities. Department of Economy, Planning, and Development Secretary and Economy and Development Council Vice-Chairman Arsenio M. Balisacan in a statement said the guidelines should be completed quickly to reduce disruptions to education while addressing risks to students and teachers. DepEd separately urged local governments on Thursday to be more specific when suspending classes, saying targeted decisions could preserve learning time without compromising the safety of students and school personnel. “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,” Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara said in a statement. Under a proposed executive order being considered by DepEd, class suspensions and resumptions could be automatic or limited to particular areas depending on the type and extent of the hazard. Local governments could identify specific towns, villages or schools where classes need to be suspended when conditions permit, DepEd said. The department cited Calumpit, Bulacan, where some schools remained flooded or were being used as evacuation centers while others were already safe for classes. Schools nationwide had lost an average of four learning days since classes opened as of Sept. 11, but the impact varied widely by area, according to DepEd. Central Luzon schools lost an average of nine days, while schools in Pampanga lost 26 days. Metro Manila recorded an average of 8.2 lost school days, with Caloocan recording 25. As of Sept. 10, 34,775 DepEd schools, or 72.5% of schools nationwide, had experienced class suspensions since the school year began. Mr. Angara said the national average masks substantial differences among regions and localities, supporting the need for suspension decisions that respond to conditions in specific areas. Malacañang did not give a deadline for completing the proposed guidelines. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking