DepEd eyes unified #WalangPasok guidelines to protect students, sustain learning amid climate disruptions

The Department of Education (DepEd) on Tuesday, Nov. 4, said it is working with other government agencies to establish a unified and timely protocol for class suspension announcements, emphasizing the need to balance student safety with the continuity of learning.

- By MERLINA HERNANDO-MALIPOT

In an inter-agency meeting with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the Philippine Science High School (PSHS), and the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II), DepEd moved to craft a national standard for class suspensions to ensure clarity, consistency, and minimal learning disruptions.

As President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. highlighted, Education Secretary Sonny Angara underscored the need to confront and prepare for the challenges that disasters pose to education.

"Hindi natin kayang pigilan ang bagyo, pero kaya nating paghusayin ang ating paghahanda para maging mabilis, malinaw, at maayos ang mga desisyon kapag kaligtasan at kinabukasan na ng mga bata ang nakataya (We cannot stop the storms, but we can improve our preparedness so that decisions are swift, clear, and orderly when the safety and future of our children are at stake)," he said.