DepEd orders make-up classes for typhoon-hit schools

abs-cbnNEWS.com | 10/22/2009 6:25 PM

MANILA – The Department of Education (DepED) on Thursday directed schools affected by two typhoons in Luzon to hold make-up classes for their students.

In a press statement, Education Secretary Jesli Lapus directed school heads of affected elementary and high schools in Regions I, II, III, IV-A, IV-B, V, CAR and NCR to prepare and implement a plan for holding make-up classes to compensate for the lost schooldays due to the calamities.

Lapus urged schools to prioritize the Saturdays of October, November and December, excluding those during Christmas break for the make-up classes.

Typhoon affected schools can also use the midyear break (October 26-30, 2009), which is originally slated for assessment and teachers' in-service training. However, schools and divisions not severely affected by the recent calamities can undertake the midyear break as scheduled.

Schools can also conduct modularized instruction that would allow students to undertake studies at home to make up for the loss in class hours.

Through DepEd's Modified In-School/Out-of-School Approach, schoolchildren who are unable to attend school can study their lessons through modules that run parallel to lessons taught in school.

Division offices will keep track of the lost schooldays in the schools under their jurisdiction and the holding of make-up classes to ensure that the minimum number of schooldays in the school calendar is preserved.

"They will report these to their respective regional offices at the end of the school year," Lapus said.

Meanwhile, DepED said of the more than 300 schools used as temporary evacuation centers, only 103 remain in use.

The number of families housed in public school evacuation centers also decreased from more than 18,600 families to about 11,400.

More than 2,500 schools have been affected by typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng with the damages amounting to P749.8-M and P481.8-M respectively. The estimates cover the cost of repair, rehabilitation of classrooms and the replacement of textbooks, instructional materials, computers, equipment and other school properties.

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