Mayor assures students’ safety, convenience among priorities

Mayor Benjamin Magalong assured that the safety, convenience and welfare of students will remain to be one of the city’s priorities especially that they have now returned to the face-to-face learning mode.

He said the city will continue to address peace and order and health concerns affecting the students to ensure continued and smooth in-school learning throughout the school year.

Traffic schemes were adopted last week to ease congestion in preparation for the influx of students and these are being monitored for adjustment and improvement on a daily basis.

The mayor said all schools that opened had complied with the health and safety seal requirements which include the provision of isolation areas for patients with symptoms or who turned positive. 

In case of clustering of cases, the mayor said that the city will not instantly cancel the in-person classes but will assess as to the situation’s manageability.

Students flocked back to schools starting Aug. 22, 2022 for the return of the face-to-face learning mode for the first time after two years of making do with virtual classes due to the pandemic.

The Department Education Baguio Schools Division headed by City Schools Supt. Federico Martin said more than 85,000 students are enrolled in public and private primary and secondary schools this school year as of Aug. 22.

Data provided by Curriculum Implementation Division Secretary Bryan Jones Bosaing showed that for public schools, a total of 32,854 pupils were enrolled in the 45 kindergarten and elementary schools while 28,324 were enlisted in the 22 high schools.

For private schools, there were 8,046 in 11 kindergarten and 67 kindergarten and elementary schools and 15,848 students in 54 high schools offering junior and senior curriculum and 8 senior high schools. – Aileen P. Refuerzo and Ariel Biala