DepEd: Over 5K schools suspend F2F classes due to severe heat

A total of 5,844 schools nationwide have now suspended in-person classes and shifted to alternative delivery modes amid the scorching heat, the Department of Education (DepEd) said Thursday.

Based on DepEd’s data, Central Luzon recorded the most schools that suspended face-to-face classes at 1,124.

Next was Central Visayas with 792 schools, Soccsksargen with 678 schools, the Bicol Region with 634 schools, and Zamboanga Peninsula with 610 schools.

The National Capital Region, meanwhile, had 306 schools that implemented alternative delivery modes, such as online or modular classes.

In 2022, the Department of Education (DepEd) issued Department Order 37, giving the school heads the authority and discretion to suspend in-person classes and shift to alternative delivery modes in cases of extreme heat and other calamities that may compromise the health and safety of learners, teachers, and non-teaching personnel.

The DepEd also said that regional directors and superintendents have the authority to move class schedules to early morning or in the late afternoon due to the intolerable heat in some schools.

Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte on Monday said that there is no need for schools to implement make-up classes after face-to-face classes were suspended in some areas in the past few days due to the hot weather. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News