MANILA — The Department of Education said Wednesday it would implement new ways to assess students as learning shifts to homes from classrooms due to the continuing threat of COVID-19.

Education Undersecretary Nepomuceno Malaluan said the department was finalizing new guidelines on assessment and grading, which would be issued this week or next week.

"Dahil bago ang pamamaraan ng pagtuturo, kailangan mag-adopt din kung papaano maa-assess iyong learning progress nila," he said in a Senate hearing.

(Because the way of teaching is new, we have to adopt a way to assess their learning progress.)

Malaluan said the department consulted assessment experts and held focus group discussions with teachers to see how "practical" its guidelines are.

In an earlier press conference, Education Undersecretary Diosdado San Antonio said education in the new normal was the perfect time for parents to teach their children honesty.

San Antonio made the statement after he was asked how teachers would know if students are the ones answering their learning activities at home and not parents.

Teachers can also tell if students are the ones who answered learning activities, said San Antonio.

Government has prohibited the conduct of in-person classes to avoid exposing students and teachers to the risk of getting COVID-19. Instead, learning will be delivered by printed and digital modules, online classes, television and radio.