DepEd Revises SSAT for Safe Expansion of Face-to-Face Classes

The Department of Education (DepEd) has updated its School Safety Assessment Tool (SSAT) to help prepare schools for the safe and efficient expansion of face-to-face learning.

Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones said in a press release yesterday that the revised SSAT shall aid in mobilizing the expansion of face-to-face classes in areas under Alert Levels 1 and 2. It has four areas, mainly managing school operations; focusing on teaching and learning; well-being and protection; and school-community coordination.

Managing school operations focuses on the shared responsibility framework. Since schools are required to receive support from stakeholders in their community, they must hold simulation activities among school staff in regard to managing the conduct of face-to-face classes. Meanwhile, teaching and learning focuses on securing supply of learning resources in the expansion of programs for both learners in face-to-face and distance learning education.

"Our SSAT will not be the final determinant if a school will participate in our progressive expansion," Briones said. "It is our way to prepare our schools for the eventual reopening and to inform them of the required indicators and standards that they need to meet to ensure the safety of our learners and school personnel."

As of April 25, 2,571,170 students from kindergarten to Grade 11 nationwide have signed up for early registration enrollment for the academic year 2022-2023. Region IV-A logged the most registrants at 257,849, followed by Region V (232,889) and the National Capital Region (190,317).

Early registration is until April 30.