800 schools suspend start of classes
ABOUT 800 schools affected by last week's torrential rain and floods that postponed the start of classes on Monday would have to conduct make-up classes, Education Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara said.
The Department of Education (DepEd) reported that as of 3 p.m. Monday, 841 schools in the National Capital Region, Ilocos, Central Luzon, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) and Soccsksargen (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos) suspended classes.
Some schools sustained flood damage, while others were being used as evacuation sites for people forced to flee their homes.
HELLO Education Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara greets students of the Carmona National High School and Elementary in Cavite, which he visited on the first day of classes on July 29, 2024. PHOTO BY MIKE ALQUINTOIn an interview with reporters in Carmona City, Angara said make-up classes would have to be held in some areas where classes remain suspended due to damage caused by the southwest monsoon and Typhoon «Carina.»
Angara said the schools that suspended classes make up only 2 percent of schools in the country.
«I'm saddened that we have to postpone the opening of classes in some areas, but we understand that the rains were still heavy. We see that only a few parts of Laguna were affected,» he said.
AdvertisementSome schools will resume classes immediately after repairs are made, he said.
Affected schools in Malabon City expect to open on July 31, and those in Marikina and Valenzuela cities on August 5.
The DepEd said 20.6 million learners are enrolled for school year 2024-2025, of which 11.3 million are in elementary, 6.2 million in junior high school, 2.9 million in senior high school, and 222,067 under the alternative learning system.
Angara said he was confident that enrollment would pick up in the coming weeks as enrollment continues until September.
AdvertisementHe noted that among the challenges this school year was the shifting schedules of Grades 9 and 10 students, which he said were «less than ideal.»
He said school principals were trying to complete these shifts to make sure that a learner's school day would be complete.
He also said
