Due to extreme heat
TACLOBAN CITY-The Department of Education (DepEd) reported that 788 schools in the region are now implementing modular or limited face-to-face classes due to extreme heat.
These schools cover from elementary up to senior high levels.
In Tacloban City alone, out of the 41 elementary and secondary schools, 14 of them have shifted the mode of learning into modular or limited face-to-face classes.
City Mayor Alfred Romualdez said that he would leave it to school officials to shift to modular or online classes saying they knew better in protecting the students due to the heat spells we are experiencing right now.
“I will fully support (their) recommendation because they are the ones who are in touch with the students every day,” he said in a press conference Wednesday (May 17).
At the Leyte National High School, with over 10,000 enrolled students, the two-day in-person classes will begin starting next week.
Bernie Jude Lamograr, the school’s information officer, said that this week, they started distributing the modules to the students which they have to answer during the three days which they are off campus.
“This is just to decongest (the school) which adds so much heat to the already hot temperature,” he said.
The in-person classes will be held every Monday and Tuesday with the students to answer their modules during the remaining three days of the school days.
It was learned from Lamograr that since the city experienced the hot spell, about 20 to 30 students every school day have experienced hyperventilation.
Despite of these changes, the delivery of education in the region will not be affected, Jasmin Calzita said on Thursday (May 18).
Calzita said that about 115,262 students are affected by this shift or learning methods which include limited face-to-face or just twice-a-week meetings; modular learning, or online classes.
“Classes are not affected by this because we are implementing an alternative delivery mode. Learning continues,” she said.
Calzita said that schools could shift to other learning methods if a situation like extreme heat would put the health and safety of the students at risk.
Under DepEd Order Number 037, schools could shift to modular distance learning due to natural calamities, disasters and human-induced hazards to ensure learning continuity.
There are 4,474 public elementary and secondary schools across the region involving 1.28 million students.
Asked if there are also private schools that have shifted to distance learning method due to the heat spell, the DepEd regional information officer said that they have no such report.
“Besides, private schools are air-conditioned. But this may adopt the same policy if needed,” Calzita said.
For several days now, Eastern Visayas has been experiencing extreme heat ranging from 34 degrees Celsius up to 46 degrees Celsius recorded in Catarman, Northern Samar on Wednesday (May 17) at about 1 pm, based on the heat index report of Pagasa.
JOEY A. GABIETA
