Aileen G. Mactal
Principal I
Villa Nati Elementary School
The Department of Education issued DO No. 12, s. 2020 entitled Adoption of the Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan for School Year 2020-2021 in Light of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency on June 19, 2020.
This Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP) was developed to provide a clear guidance to all offices, units, schools, and community learning centers of the Department of Education, learners and their parents, partners, and stakeholders.
This BE-LCP is a package of education interventions that will respond to the challenges brought by COVID 19 Pandemic. It covers the most essential learning competencies (MELC), multiple learning delivery modalities for teachers, school leaders and learners, required health standards in schools and workplaces, and special activities like Brigada Eskwela, Oplan Balik Eskwela, and partnerships.
One of the principles of BE-LCP is to ensure the continuity of learning through K to 12 curriculum adjustments, alignment of learning materials, deployment of multiple learning delivery modalities, provision of training to teachers and school leaders, and orientation to parents and pupils.
To protect the health, safety and well-being of learners, teachers, and personnel and prevent the further transmission of COVID-19 is another principle of BE-LCP; that is why, the Department issued DepEd Order No. 14, s. 2020 or the Guidelines on the Required Health Standards in the Basic Education Offices and Schools. These guidelines are for the guidance of learners, teachers, and non-teaching personnel in the country.
Another principle included in the BE-LCP is to facilitate the safe return of teaching and nonteaching personnel to workplaces and schools to provide continuous education to learners while at home, taking into consideration the scenarios projected by the Department of Health (DOH) and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases in the Philippines (IATF), complemented by other credible sources, and balanced with DepEd’s own risk assessments.
As response to this principle, schools and offices comply with this through the provision of footbath, alcohol dispenser, thermal scanner, and logbook plus the observance of social distancing.
The Department together with its units, division offices, and schools are preparing earnestly for the implementation of BE-LCP come August 24, 2020 or the opening of classes.
Trainings for teachers and school leaders, and meetings are held frequently. Teachers are making modules, self-learning kits, and lesson exemplars as supplementary materials to the materials coming from DepEd Central office. In the BE-LCP, it also emphasizes that there will be no face to face classes until safe; that, if ever that there will be prohibition from the DOH, IATF, and even from the Presidents to be lifted or relaxed, blended learning will be applied.
The content of this BE-LCP is part of the “new normal” we are in right now. Whatever changes there will be, what is important is our readiness and acceptance to face any challenges for the welfare of our learners and our nation. As the DepEd mantra says, “Para sa Bata, Para sa Bayan.”