
MANILA -- Last month, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte approved Sept. 13 as the start of academic year 2021-2022, though school years usually start in June. Face-to-face classes, suspended since March 2020, will not be held.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, distance learning has become the norm for schools and universities, as ordered by the Department of Education (DepEd). Students get lessons through either online classes or study modules that they pick up at designated drop-off points. The modules have been preferred by families without access to gadgets or a stable internet connection.