By Joseph B.A. Marzan
The Commission on Higher Education-Region 6 (CHED-6) confirmed on June 1 that Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) will be allowed to conduct face-to-face sessions between lecturers and students in the upcoming school year, amid the continued onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
In a radio interview, CHED-6 Education Program chief Rex Casiple said measures shall be implemented when Academic Year 2020-2021 opens.
CHED Central Office’s Advisory No. 7, issued on May 24, adopted the approved recommendation of the national Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases in its Resolution No. 36.
Casiple said that specific class arrangements will still be dependent on the HEIs to implement.
“We will still limit the number of students in a class at 50 percent so we can observe physical distancing. The arrangements will still depend on the schools. They can have alternative classes. They can even divide the classes between days,” Casiple said.
He also said school events that will require mass gatherings will be prohibited.
“We will still prohibit mass gatherings such as graduation ceremonies and other school activities that will require mass gatherings. We encourage schools to prepare their facilities before the opening of classes. We have to consider health standard requirements like hygiene and physical distancing practices,” he added.
Casiple said HEIs have to inform CHED-6 about the opening of enrollment a week before they start letting in students.
“So far, no schools haven’t notified us. They need to inform the students and the CHED one week before the enrollment so we can monitor their compliance with the enrollment,” he said.
CHED Advisory No. 7 stated that only schools with online enrollment facilities can open after May 31.
The advisory also provided that no HEI can open for face-to-face learning until August 31.
FLEXIBLE LEARNING
Casiple said that CHED is currently helping the schools to adjust to a more flexible learning system.
“Our schools are having problems with flexible learning because this is new to them. So we are in the process of conducting seminars and trainings for the teachers on how to handle online learning processes with offline or blended learning, similar to distance education,” he said.
He said that the CHED will give HEIs time to develop their physical facilities and their faculty so they can be ready.
