LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Lubas Elementary School (LES) in La Trinidad, Benguet officially started their face-to-face (F2F) classes on February 23, 2022 after two years since the entire Luzon was declared into a lockdown due to the proliferation of COVID-19.
All the private and government sectors including education were affected.
Until February 2, 2022, the Office of the President through the Department of Education (DepEd) officially released statement thereby approving the recommendation for the progressive expansion of face-to-face classes.
In the statement, DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones authorized all regional directors to start the progressive expansion of the physical classes for both public and private schools after the accreditation of the DepEd’s surveillance and monitoring team.
Out of 764 enrolled students in LES for this school year, 650 students confirmed to attend the face-to-face classes.
According to Regional Director Estela Cariño of the Cordillera office of the DepEd , there are 740 schools in region and 253 schools in Benguet that started face-to-face classes as of March 3, 2022.
Further, Mark L. Binay-an, School of Head of LES, stated that they are still waiting for some of the students to submit their parents’ consent.
To maintain safety health protocols and to monitor the students, the teachers together with the school nurses made a schedule for the students when they will attend their physical classes.
LES prepared for almost three months before the return of the face -to-face class.
The teachers, non-teaching faculty staff, and parents help one another to improve the school for the safety of their students.
It can be remembered that in December 2021, they started to clean the school surroundings, classrooms, and comfort rooms, paint the tables and chairs, put proper signages, change the roofs of the classrooms, and fixed the ventilation of the classrooms
The school also complied with the needed requirements given by the DepEd to have the permit to open face-to- face classes such as Memorandum of Agreement, parents’ consent of the students, including the fully vaccinated teaching and non-teaching personnel who works in the school.
After the regular monitoring of the school, in the last week of February they finally received their safety seal, indicating that they are prepared and ready to implement face-to-face classes.
Binay-an stated that as for now, Grades 1 to 3 will only be permitted to attend their class on the 1st and 3rd week of the month while Grades 4 to 6 on the 2nd and 4th week of the month.
He also mentioned that the students will only have four and a half hours of lesson discussion.
“Though it has only limited time, the important thing is that the students will be able to meet their teachers and also the teachers will be able to guide their students in their modules,” he added.
On the other hand, parent of a third-grade student who works as a tailor, was glad upon hearing that face-to-face classes will already start to be implemented in LES.
“Mas maymayat nu ada face-to-face class ta nu idiay iskwelaan makaadal da nga usto, karkaro nu panag-answer iti modules da (It is better to have face-to-face classes because the child will learn more especially in answering their modules)” ended Cecilia Arabia, one of the parents.
By Christine Joy Bornolla