The Department of Education (DepEd) has authorized private schools across the country to adopt flexible learning delivery arrangements as electricity costs continue to rise amid global tensions linked to the United States–Iran conflict.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara issued the directive through a memorandum on Tuesday, allowing private institutions to either retain five-day in-person classes or shift to blended learning setups while ensuring uninterrupted instruction.
“We understand the challenges our private schools are facing. We want to give them the flexibility to manage rising operational costs while protecting the quality of learning,” Angara said.
Under the guidelines, private schools may implement blended learning without prior approval from DepEd, provided they inform their respective Schools Division Office at least five days before rollout and submit updated class schedules.
DepEd emphasized that face-to-face classes will remain the default mode of instruction. Any alternative arrangements must continue to meet academic standards and will be subject to monitoring by regional and division offices.
To protect foundational learning, remote classes under blended schemes will be limited to one day per week for kindergarten to Grade 6 students.
Learners in Grades 7 to 10 may have up to two days of online classes weekly, while senior high school students may shift to a maximum of three days of remote learning, depending on school capacity and program requirements.
The department said the policy will remain in effect for the duration of the national energy emergency.