President
Rodrigo Duterte announced that he would not risk the lives of students without
the vaccine just yet.
In a late
televised address on a late night of Wednesday, Duterte said the classes will
remain suspended in the country until a vaccine is made available to protect
the people.
“It spells
disaster," Duterte said.
“I will not
allow the opening of classes na magdikit dikit ‘yang mga bata. Bahala nang
hindi na makatapos. For this generation walang makatapos na doktor pati
engineer,” he added.
Duterte said
no need to discuss the opening of new school year due to the magnitude threat
of COVID-19 in the country.
“Wala nang
aral, laro na lang unless I am sure that they are really safe. It’s useless to
be talking about the opening of classes. Para sa akin, bakuna muna,” the president
said
Earlier,
the Department of Education announced that the next school year will officially
open on August 24 and end on April 30, 2021.
DepEd, on
the other hand, clarified that resumption of classes did not mean students
would need to go back to the classrooms as social distancing would be implemented.
“I think by
the grace of God we will have the vaccine before the end of the year so mag-asa
na lang tayo sa mga marunong," Duterte said.
"They
are feverously working on it. ‘Pag nandiyan na yan, ako na ang magsabi labas
na,” he added
DepEd also
stressed that it is open to adjust and considers online learning as a viable
option.
Some
lawmakers also agree to postpone the class resumption unless a vaccine against
the virus is made available.
"The
(DepEd) should postpone the resumption of classes this year instead of
resorting to virtual classrooms which would only prejudice students who are not
equipped with e-learning gadgets and could not afford to have any internet
connection," Ang Probinsyano Party-list Rep. Ronnie Ong said in a statement.
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