Preparations for face-to-face classes on

Teachers and students must be fully vaccinated in preparation for face-to-face classes in January 2022.  This is according to Mayor Benjamin Magalong last week during the regular media forum Ugnayan, at city hall.

There are vaccines, booster shots included, purposely set aside for students and teachers, he added.

The threat of the Omicron (Covid-19) variant however looms with reports of high rate of transmissibility. 

“Hopefully, hindi matindi ang Omicron, so we can proceed with planning (for academic) activities,” the mayor said. He mentioned a series of meetings with heads of colleges and universities so preparations could go on.

The Omicron variant with three known cases in the Philippines is causing waves of illness in other countries. Meticulous studies as to details of the cases, and severity of infection are still ongoing.

The city of Baguio, known as the education center of the north is on record being host to 22 host to tertiary schools, with universities having thousands enrolled. The city’s colleges and universities also boast of board topnotchers in their respective academic programs.

There are also 21 secondary and 45 elementary schools in the city, with thousands of enrolled students and pupils.

It may be recalled that modular, online or TV/radio classes took over regular classes last school year during the Covid-19 pandemic. Several problems were noted, however, such as; lack of funds for module material reproduction, students’ struggle with self-learning and parents’ lack of knowledge in academics and instructions.

Last semester, only institutions offering medical courses opened limited face-to-face classes. Clamor for more classes to open progressed for all courses, as lately, a majority of the city’s adolescent population got at least one dose of vaccine. – Julie G. Fianza