Classes suspended to give way to polls

Education Secretary Leonor Briones. File Photo

THERE will be no classes from Kinder to Grade 12 in all public schools from May 2 to 13 to give way to the national elections, the Department of Education (DepEd) announced on Monday.

The elections will be held on May 9. Classes will resume on May 16.

Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, schools in the country have been holding classes through the distance learning system. With Covid restrictions eased, around 13,000 of the 60,000 public and private schools have been allowed to hold in-person classes.

During the 2019 midterm elections, more than 500,000 teachers served as poll workers while an estimated 36,830 schools were converted into polling centers.

In an earlier statement, Education Secretary Leonor Briones said the DepEd continues to play a crucial role in ensuring the success of the elections.

“Our teachers continue to be on the frontline of the foremost exercise of democracy in the country notwithstanding the demands and challenges the season entails,” Briones said.

The DepEd said although the role is not new, it still wants to ensure the department's readiness by creating an election task force and conducting the Regional Clustered Conference on Values Formation, Voters Education and Automated Election System.

“We aim to adopt guidelines, information, technical and legal assistance for teachers and other personnel who will serve as members of the electoral board,” the department said.

“We have successfully implemented these programs with the hope that we will be able to maintain free, orderly, honest, peaceful and credible national and local elections to be held this coming May,” it added.