The COVID-19 pandemic greatly affected the educational systems worldwide. With the restrictions on physical contact, many countries developed and adapted new approaches to prevent learning loss. During the pandemic, the Department of Education (DepEd) created the Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP) to address challenges in the education sector. The department also issued the DepEd Order 17, series 2022, to slowly reintroduce and implement face-to-face classes.
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It contains guidelines anchored on the shared responsibility principle, launched and applied during the pilot implementation of the DepEd-DPH Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 1, s. 2021, known as the “Operational Guidelines on the Implementation of Face to Face Learning Modality.” Moreover, this order will focus on mechanisms to establish a safe school learning environment to improve assistance in the teaching and learning process and ensure schools’ safe operations.
What is DepEd Order 17
Promulgated on April 6, 2022, by the Department of Education, DepEd Order (DO) 17, series (s.) 2022, enclosed the “Guidelines on the Progressive Expansion of Face to Face Classes.” This issuance conforms with the approval of the President on implementing the progressive expansion of face-to-face (F2F) classes on January 17, 2022. It adheres to the updated alert level classifications established by the Interagency Task Force for Emerging and Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID). This policy will guide schools on the F2F class mechanisms and standards to ensure its safe, effective, and efficient implementation.
Guidelines on the Progressive Expansion of Face-to-Face Classes
Managing Safe School Operations
1. Preparations for School Reopening for In-person Classes
a. The school should allow the community to partake in the reopening process of schools to form the risk perceptions and effectively address the health crises through localized efforts.
b. The school should modify class programs based on their Alternative Work Arrangements (AWA) and administer an orientation of teaching personnel regarding potential changes in their AWA. Schools should also devise a plan to guarantee available teachers to conduct F2F classes. Likewise, the plan should consider teacher assignments for learners who will continue in distance learning.
c. The school should oversee and update the COVID-19 vaccination status of learners via the DepEd Learner’s Information System (LIS).
d. Before the class opening, the school should conduct simulation activities among its personnel about routines and protocols to imitate and discuss potential scenarios during the actual implementation of F2F classes. Also, the school may develop information materials for health and safety protocols.
e. Schools should also involve various levels of community governance – customary community leaders for IP and Muslim communities; the barangay, municipal, and provincial leaders- in the school reopening process to form risk perceptions and effectively react to health crises via localized efforts.
2. School Traffic Management
The school should create safe entrance and exit, crowd management measures, and contact tracing procedures for all those entering school premises, such as learners, school personnel, teachers, parents, or guardians. Similarly, the school should designate and mark the drop-off and pick-up points. High-traffic areas should also have Separate Entry and Exit points and installed signages and markers for cueing and unidirectional movement.
Schools should install signages or visual cues in the following:
- School map at the front gate specifying the location of classrooms, serving as a guide for exit points or evacuation during emergencies
- Entrance and exit instructions (for school gate and classrooms)
- Designated waiting area for parents, guardians, or chaperones with strict observation of physical distancing at all times (limited to one person per learner)
- Hallway ground markings for walking direction guide
- Areas where physical capacity may be limited, like a restroom, library, and school administrative office
Authorized visitors should schedule an appointment with the school head to manage the number of people on the premises. Further, all visitors must follow health protocols and screening, provide a copy of their identification to school administrators, and fill out a form online or on-site containing their name, address, contact details, time, date, and purpose of visit.
3. Communication Strategy
a. The school should create a proactive COVID-19 local hotline/helpdesk to connect and coordinate with hospitals/LGUs.
b. Advisers should keep a database of contact information for parents/guardians of children under their class advisory, containing phone numbers and addresses as per RA No. 10173 or the Data Privacy Act, to notify them if their child has flu-like symptoms while on school premises or made physical contact with an individual who has COVID-19.
c. The school should set up feedback mechanisms for parents, guardians, and community members on concerns relevant to the implementation of F2F classes.
d. Schools can also use PAS-developed F2F Class graphics and templates for communication collaterals, such as brochures, signboards, or signboards.
4. Contingency Plan
a. The school should abide by a decision model and develop a contingency plan for closing and reopening the school in case COVID-19 returns. DepEd will issue separate guidelines to aid in preparing the Schools Contingency Plan.
b. The following should be in the contingency plan:
- Decision points for school suspension
- Distance learning modalities during suspension
- Strategies for reopening schools after the suspension
c. Also, the contingency plan should contain strategies for learning continuity during the suspension of F2F classes until local authorities resolve the safe return of F2F classes.
d. The enclosed protocols in the contingency plan should adhere to the prevailing guidelines issued by concerned government agencies.
5. School-Community Coordination
a. The school should create coordination mechanisms with the Barangay Health Emergency Response Team (BHERT) of the Local Government Unit (LGU) to ensure proper observation of health protocols.
b. The school should implement the Preventive Alert System in Schools (PASS) (Enclosure No. 4 to DepEd Memorandum No. 015, s. 2020). Teachers should also ensure routine conduct of health inspections during F2F classes.
c. The school should ensure a health personnel or “clinic teacher” is designated and physically present at the school clinic during school days.
d. The school should educate parents/guardians regarding the health and safety protocols at school and home (including pick-up and drop-off, minimum health and safety requirements, and increasing the health and safety protocols at home).
e. The school should organize home-school coordination on reporting learners’ health status.
Ensuring Teaching and Learning
1. Guidance for Class Scheduling
a. The school should design class programs catering to learners in F2F class arrangement and distance learning, observing the maximum 6-hour classroom teaching hours.
b. Arrange class schedules for all learners to allow them to attend F2F classes. Schools should ensure the arrival, breaks, and dismissal times are staggered to prevent learners from crowding on the premises.
c. Schools have the flexibility in contact/teaching time for teaching and learning:
d. The school should guarantee learning intervention/remediation is part of the regular class schedule and daily teaching time.
e. Schools should ensure the allotted time for health and safety-related activities, like handwashing, temperature checking, and other relevant preliminary activities, would not affect actual contact/teaching time.
f. With guidance from the Schools Division Office, schools should establish the most applicable class scheduling based on the demand and capacity to administer F2F classes, class size, human resource capacity of the institution, and availability of classrooms.
g. In compliance with the Revised JMC on the Operational Guidelines on Implementation of F2F Classes, the class size should comply with the following standards:
- Maximum of 12 Learners for Kindergarten
- For Grades 1 to 12, the number of learners in a classroom should consider the different sizes of classrooms and the 1-meter physical distancing requirement.
- Maximum of 12 learners at the same time for activities that require the use of laboratories and workshops
2. Ensuring teaching and learning delivery
a. Teacher Workload
- The school should ensure the distribution of teachers’ loads follows the maximum 6-hour classroom teaching per day
- Teachers should create a Weekly Learning Plan to direct and guide learners in classroom-based and home-based activities
- Class advisers and subject teachers should closely monitor the attendance of learners and the achievement of home-learning tasks
- During F2F classes, teachers should devote the allotted instructional time to administer diagnostic/summative assessments, targeted instruction, frequent checks, monitor learning progress, and provide feedback on learners’ performance and outputs
b. Teacher Training and Support
- Provide applicable technical assistance by coaching and mentoring teachers to guarantee their ability to deliver relevant teaching and learning strategies
- The appropriate supervisor should provide instructional supervision
c. Learning Resources
- Teachers and learners can use learning resources produced by DepEd to ensure the achievement of learning standards
- For blended learning, teachers can use textbooks, self-learning modules, learning activity sheets, video and audio lessons
- All teachers should have a Teacher’s Guide/Teacher’s Manual on grade levels and learning areas they handle
d. School Activities
- Group work activities that require physical contact are not allowed if separation is not applicable
- School-related activities and gatherings conducted for activities allowed in areas under alert Levels 1 and 2 or equivalent
3. Curriculum
DepEd imposes the K to 12 Curriculum as a minimum requirement for all public and private schools to partake in the face-to-face classes implementation. Nonetheless, the instruction should focus on the “Most Essential Learning Competencies (MELCs)” to ensure learners have the necessary knowledge and skills.
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DepEd Order 17 Full Memo Download
To access and download the complete PDF of DepEd Order No. 17, series of 2022, a direct link is available on this page. By clicking the download button below, you can easily obtain a copy of DepEd Order 17 n PDF format.
Full PDF DepEd 17 memo file: https://www.deped.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/DO_s2022_017.pdf
Video: DEPED ORDER NO 17s 2022 GUIDELINES ON THE PROGRESSIVE EXPANSION OF FACE-TO-FACE CLASSES
As discussed in the video, DepEd Order 17, series 2022, aims to provide mechanisms and standards for implementing F2F classes. This order will focus on the teaching and learning component and management of safe school operations. The policy will also address the learning loss caused by COVID-19. Additionally, it will promote and ensure the implementation of face-to-face classes and the Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP).
Summary
Despite the education challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Education has effectively responded and resolved learning loss by enacting the BE-LCP. Furthermore, the department is slowly implementing the return of face-to-face classes while ensuring the safety of teachers and learners. The department issued the DepEd Order 17, series 2022, to guide schools and their personnel on the progressive expansion of face-to-face classes. Hence, all concerned stakeholders must comply with these guidelines for the benefit and safety of Filipino teachers and learners.