ENSURING the quality of education for tertiary students will not be further compromised, the Commission on Higher Education urged higher education institutions to make the necessary preparations if they intend to hold face-face classes once allowed by the government.

CHED Chairperson Prospero De Vera III said HEIs planning to conduct limited face-to-face classes for specific degree programs should prepare even without the guidelines released.

“Kahit walang guidelines, you can plan ahead. Among the preparations the HEIs can do at this point is to reach out to their respective local government units,” De Vera said.

“Consult, coordinate and start meetings with your LGUs. You don’t have to wait for the guidelines, you can also retrofit ahead so the process can be fast-tracked once it has been approved,” he added.

Face-to-face classes remain prohibited in the country due to the continued threat of Covid19 pandemic.

Students in all levels, from kinder to tertiary, are under home-based learning as directed by President Rodrigo Duterte.

However, as recommended by CHED, some HEIs that offer medical and allied health programs were given priority to attend limited in-person clerkships.

Last week, six HEIs which offer medical programs received CHED’s approval to conduct limited face-to-face classes.

The six schools were the University of the Philippines-Manila, University of Santo Tomas, University of the East-Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center, Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health, Our Lady of Fatima University in Valenzuela, and St. Louis University in Baguio.

However, the Association of Philippine Medical Colleges earlier this week suspended face-to-face internships in the National Capital Region until further notice after the recent surge in Covid19 cases.

But De Vera said the agency will no longer issue additional directives following the indefinite suspension of face-to-face internship and clinical clerkship rotation.

“There are subjects that need hands-on experience and are not possible through online or distance learning,” De Vera said.