The Department of Education (DepEd) is drafting and consulting on updated guidelines for suspending and resuming in-person classes and onsite school work during emergencies. Multiple reports say DepEd is developing a standardized approach that defines when schools should pause operations based on nationally set hazard thresholds issued by relevant government technical agencies. The proposal includes both automatic suspensions and automatic resumptions once risks fall within prescribed levels.
DepEd’s consultations with stakeholders are focused on updating existing rules through a framework that covers a range of environmental and disaster-related hazards. These include extreme heat, volcanic smog, heavy rainfall, and earthquakes. Alongside national triggers for automatic suspension and resumption, the proposal also addresses localized suspension and resumption decisions for specific areas where risks are different from nationwide conditions.
The draft is being discussed through nationwide stakeholder engagement and is expected to be formalized through an updated executive-order level policy, according to DepEd statements cited by outlets. The final rules will determine the operational parameters for schools during emergencies and the conditions for returning to in-person activities.
