Philippines: Schools resume in-person classes after longest distance learning

In Philippines, millions of students across the country have returned to the classroom today, after one of the world’s longest school closures due to COVID-19. Local media reported that around 24,000 public schools will implement five days of face-to-face classes.

The rest will hold a mix of in-person and online classes until November.

The Education Department in a statement said that some schools will have to split classes up in shifts because of classroom shortages and to avoid overcrowding.

Almost half the country’s schools resumed in-person classes after more than two years of distance learning.

The Philippines was one of the last few countries to transition back to face-to-face learning after COVID struck.

The country saw one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in South East Asia, with close to three million cases and around 50,000 deaths.