DILG recommends online classes shift amidst various class suspensions
The safety of students and school staff, particularly during severe weather, is the Department of the Interior and Local Government's top priority. With this, the DILG suggested that schools switch to online classes when classes are suspended.
In a Sept. 2 statement, the agency explained that its advisories on class suspensions are designed to reduce risks and help families and schools make "timely decisions."
DILG also emphasized that these announcements are not meant to interrupt learning but to protect the most vulnerable during emergencies.
"Our advisories on the suspension of classes during adverse weather conditions are issued precisely to mitigate risks to life, ensure safety in local communities, and help families and schools make timely decisions," it wrote.
The department also addressed the challenges faced by private schools, which may not have access to the latest weather models from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. To address this, the DILG is giving schools flexibility by allowing them to switch to online classes whenever a government-mandated suspension is in effect.
It added, "It must also be emphasized that the recommendations on class suspensions are made by the NDRRMC, based on the latest data and hazard monitoring."
The statement went on emphasizing the department's role: to communicate and implement these recommendations in partnership with local governments.
The department also commended the efforts of schools and local government units that have already adopted flexible learning models to ensure education continues even during disruptions.
Ultimately, DILG addressed that class suspension amid emergencies aims to "protect students and preserve their right to education."
"They go hand in hand," the statement continued. "Timely decisions save lives, while coordination and preparedness ensure that learning continues."
In 2024, the Department of Education has been ordered by its secretary, Sonny Angara, to review its existing policies on class suspension during typhoons to strike a balance between ensuring the safety of students and teachers and preventing too many losses of school days.
Under the policy, class suspensions during inclement weather depend on the discretion of local government leaders. Public schools are mandated to follow this rule, while private schools only have the option to abide by it.
The order also states that in-person, online classes, and work from Kindergarten to Grade 12, as well as in the Alternative Learning System, are automatically canceled if the schools are situated in LGUs under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signals 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, issued by the Philippine Atmospheric and Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.
However, in places where no TCWS was issued despite the presence of strong winds and flooding, the local chief executive will be the one to decide whether class suspensions should be pushed.
Likewise, among the solutions the department is deliberating are conducting make-up classes, having longer class hours per day, and cutting the academic break short.
