Local government units in Antique have lifted class suspensions, and classes go full swing in all 537 public schools on Thursday. ‘All the schools in the 18 towns of the province have resumed their classes with the improved weather condition,’ said Eric Cortejo, DepEd Antique information officer, in an interview Thursday. Local government units in the province suspended classes for two days since Tuesday (Aug. 29) due to bad weather caused by the southwest monsoon or (habagat) and enhanced by Typhoon Goring. He said that DepEd Antique has deployed eight teams to monitor the opening of classes in the various schools where around 135,652 learners are enrolled from Kindergarten to Grade 12 as of Aug. 30. ‘So far, the school opening went smoothly Thursday morning,’ he said, adding that some learners arrived as early as 7:15 a.m. He said there were parents who assisted their children, especially the kindergarten who reported to school for the first time. Upon their inspections, the classrooms are cleared of ‘unnecessary artwork, decorations, tarpaulins, and posters’ in compliance with Department Order 21, series of 2023, issued by Vice President Sara Duterte. ‘Classrooms in the schools in the province are bare to enable the learners to concentrate on their lessons,’ Cortejo said. Meantime, big schools like the Antique National School with 6,820 enrollees have adopted class shifting to accommodate learners and avoid overcrowding in classrooms. The morning shift starts at 7:15 until 12 noon, while the afternoon shift begins at 1 p.m. until 6 p.m. with 40 learners per shift. Cortejo urged parents to support their children’s education as they try to adjust since school year 2023-2024 has just started.
Source: Philippines News Agency
