MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Education (DepEd) just declared it would open the school year 2020-2021 on August 24, and students and parents were not happy.

On Tuesday, May 5, Education Secretary Leonor Briones said that, while the school year would open on the said date, it does not necessarily demand that students and teachers physically report to school. It is highly likely though that classes would be held online for areas under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), she said. 

After Briones announced the decision during the Laging Handa press briefing, netizens took to social media to lambast the department’s move, with “DepEd” eventually landing a spot on Twitter trending topics within the next hour.

One netizen questioned how the department would expect students to enroll by August, when the income of a lot of families had been affected by the pandemic.

DepEd surely knew nothing about the life of the Filipinos.Aug24 start of class is not a good one.Imagine every family cant even sustain their basic needs today coz "No work,no pay" amidst this covid. You expect them to enroll their students immediately?

— (@yourStupidOnly) May 5, 2020

Meanwhile on Facebook, parents and even teachers expressed their dismay over DepEd’s decision, saying starting the classes in August could mean putting at risk their children’s lives, as well as the safety of the family.

A public school teacher shared that majority of her students would struggle, particularly in terms of access, if their only alternative would be an online classroom setup.

Some, however, defended the department’s decision, and argued that delaying classes further could bear long-term consequences.

Here’s what others had to say on the matter:

DepEd – Curated tweets by rapplerdotcom

Briones said the decision on how the classes would be conducted lies with the Inter-Agency Task Force, and would depend on the status of the pandemic by then.

What are your thoughts on DepEd’s decision? Sound off in the comments. – Rappler.com