FILE. Malugod na ibinalita ni Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto na iniinspeksiyon na para matiyak ang kalidad ng mga laptop na ipamamahagi ng pamahalaang lokal sa mga guro sa pampublikong paaralan. Photo from Office of the Mayor
MANILA — Mayor Vico Sotto said Thursday there was no need to suspend classes while public schools in Pasig City remained under distance learning since attendance in online learning was not strict.
Sotto also saw it unnecessary to declare class suspensions since students are only studying from their homes.
"While we are in distance [or] blended learning, there is no suspension of classes for public schools. Dahil hindi naman lalabas ng bahay ang mga mag-aaral at di rin strict sa online attendance," he said in a Twitter post.
Even without internet connection, Pasig students can still study through worksheets or learning materials already available in their tablets, according to Sotto.
"Hindi kailangan ng live internet connection," he said in another Twitter post in response to a query.
Prior to the opening of classes in public schools earlier this month, the Pasig local government raised around P1.2 billion to buy laptops, tablets and other gadgets for students and teachers.
Sotto also urged private schools to "come up with their own policies" on class suspensions "based on their current system."
In the past days, some students said they were unable to attend online classes or submit requirements due to unstable internet connectivity prompted by bad weather.
The Department of Education and Department of the Interior and Local Government earlier said it was up to local governments to suspend classes in times of typhoons and other calamities even as schools implemented distance learning.
Government banned in-person classes to avoid exposing education workers, teachers, and students to the threat of the novel coronavirus.
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