The Department of Education (DepEd) in Bohol is now preparing for the month-long enrollment of public schools which starts nationwide on June 1, an official said, assuring that general community quarantine protocols will still be observed during the school registration period.

“Whole month of June under sa atong calendar that is the enrollment period. Pero atong gi-klaro na walay bata na moadto sa eskwelehan aron magpa-enroll,” said Bohol Provincial Schools Division Superintendent Bianito Dagatan.

Parents and guardians may not necessarily troop to schools as well for the enrollment as Dagatan said that each school may come up with their own process of enrollment.

The school can offer online enrollment or distribute forms to fill-up at the barangays which will then be picked up by the parents and then returned to village officials.  

“With this hesitation because sa COVID, mao na we should think of strategies na wala nato mahimo sauna…ang atong mga skwelahan atong gihatagan og mga option unsaon ang enrollment na dili ta makasupak sa mga lagda bahin sa COVID,” he said.

Schools may also allow face-to-face enrollment but do it by small batches to avoid crowding.

According to Dagatan, the enrollment will also serve as a survey for the DepEd to figure out how to proceed with the classes amid the pandemic.

This will be done by distributing survey forms during enrollment, he said.

Meanwhile, teachers will be required to “report for duty” on June 1 but they are also not directed to be in school physically.

Dagatan said that teachers may work from home by making preparations such as visual materials and lesson plans and guides.

“Ang teachers mo start na og duty June kay ang vacation nila until May 31…pero giklaro nato na start of duty but does not mean they start reporting to school,” he added.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier opposed the resumption of classes while a vaccine for COVID-19 is not yet available.

“For this generation, wala nang makatapos na doktor pati engineer. Kasi hindi na, wala nang aral. Laro na lang. Unless I am sure that they are really safe,” Duterte said in a televised address on Monday.

Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC), a national teachers’ group which is headquartered in Valenzuela City, expressed support for the President’s stand saying the deferment of classes will allow the DepEd to focus on coming up with alternative means of education.

It will also allow teachers to build their technical capacity and other skills needed to educate under the “new normal.”

 “We hope that this time, DepEd will consider the opinions, views, suggestions and even sentiments of education stakeholders especially parents and teachers in crafting their plans,” TDC said in a statement.

Duterte’s mouthpiece, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque however said in an interview over Teleradyo on Wednesday that enrollment will proceed on June 1.

“Tuloy po yan dahil hindi naman po tayo pupuwede na walang preparasyon,” Roque said.

Resumption of classes is initially scheduled on August 24 through either “face-to-face” or “blended learning.” (A. Doydora)