BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – Schools in the southern part of the province may be allowed to observe blended learning for the 2022-2023 school year, according to the Department of Education (DepEd) in Negros Occidental.
Some schools in southern Negros Occidental have yet to be repaired after being damaged by super typhoon “Odette” in December of last year.
DepEd-NegOcc spokesperson Ian Arnold Arnaez said they are currently awaiting the official order from DepEd central office.
Arnaez said the provincial government recently asked for data on schools heavily hit by calamities from the DepEd provincial office.
The province may release the budget for repair from the Special Education Fund or from other sources.
Arnaez added that it is not specified in DepEd Memorandum No. 34 covering school year 2022 to 2023 if the implementation of the School Safety Assessment Tool (SSAT) is still mandated; schools are still required to conduct a personal assessment of their capacity to conduct face-to-face classes.
A total of 580 schools in Negros Occidental are expected to reopen on Aug. 22.
DepEd announced that face-to-face classes will start on Nov. 2 this year.
Blended learning, meanwhile, will still be observed from August to October./PN