President Duterte has expressed his disapproval of the Department of Education’s decision to open classes in the country this coming August without an available vaccine against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) disease.
“I will not allow the opening of classes na magdikit-dikit ‘yang mga bata,” he said in a televised address on late Monday night. “Bahala nang hindi na makatapos […] Wala nang aral, laro na lang. Unless I am sure that they are really safe, it’s useless to be talking about the opening of classes. Para sa akin, bakuna muna. Kapag nandiyan ‘yung bakuna, okay na.”
[“I will not allow the opening of classes where the children will be physically close together. It’s fine if they don’t finish … No more studies, just playtime. Unless I am sure that they are really safe, it’s useless to be talking about the opening of classes. For me, we need a vaccine first. When there is already a vaccine, then it’s okay.”]
DepEd earlier announced that the next school year will commence on August 24, whether physically or online, and will end on April 30, 2021. Malacañang added that colleges and universities using “full online education” can open anytime but schools that require face-to-face learning cannot open until September 1.
Meanwhile, many lawmakers have been making the call to postpone the resumption of classes while there is still no COVID-19 vaccine.
As of writing, there are 14,319 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines with 3,323 recoveries and 873 deaths.
(ALSO READ: UP Experts Recommend Suspending Classes Until December 2020)
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