A teachers' group on Wednesday urged the Department of Education to issue clear guidelines for holding make-up classes to recover lost school days following the week-long suspension of classes due to recent typhoons and the southwest monsoon, locally known as habagat.
"The recent verbal directive from Secretary Sonny Angara to conduct make-up classes has raised concerns, especially in light of the Department of Education's (DepEd) longstanding policies that promote work-life balance and prohibit homework during weekends to protect the well-being of both teachers and learners," Benjo Basas, chairperson of the Teachers' Dignity Coalition (TDC), said in a statement.
Basas emphasized that under existing and previous DepEd issuances, make-up classes should only be considered when the 180 non-negotiable school days are compromised.
"Without clear guidelines, such a blanket instruction may lead to confusion in the field," he said.
The TDC believes that learning losses due to class disruptions can be recovered through effective pedagogy and innovative approaches—without necessarily extending class hours or holding sessions on Saturdays.
"More importantly, DepEd should focus on addressing the chronic problems in our schools in a strategic and sustainable way. Class suspensions account for only a small fraction of the learning crisis when compared to the daily challenges posed by overcrowded classrooms and the persistent lack of basic resources for quality teaching and learning—issues that the President [Ferdinand Marcos Jr.] himself acknowledged in his recent SONA [State of the Nation Address]," Basas pointed out.
The TDC is calling for a dialogue with Secretary Angara to clarify the matter and present the real situation faced by schools and teachers.
Angara said his agency is planning to hold make-up classes to ensure students can still complete the required learning hours.
“Yes, plano talaga natin na magsagawa ng make-up classes dahil kung hindi natin gagawin ‘yan, masyadong malaki ang mawawala sa ating mga kabataan,” he told reporters in an ambush interview during the formal launch of the Quality Basic Education Development Plan at the Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria in Quezon City on Tuesday.