THE DEPARTMENT of Education  has granted private schools greater flexibility in delivering classes as they grapple with rising electricity costs following the declaration of a State of National Energy Emergency under Executive Order No. 110, s. 2026.

DepEd clarified that private schools may continue with five-day in-person classes or shift to blended learning arrangements to help manage operational expenses, while ensuring that students’ learning continues without disruption.

“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,” Education Secretary Sonny Angara said.

Under the guidance, private schools opting to implement blended learning are not required to seek prior approval. However, they must inform their Schools Division Office at least five days before implementation and submit a revised class schedule, along with a plan to ensure learning standards are maintained.

For implementation, DepEd recommends the following structure:

• Kindergarten to Grade 6: Remote learning should be limited to one day per week to safeguard foundational literacy and numeracy development.
• Grades 7 to 10: Up to two days of remote learning per week may be adopted.
• Senior High School: Up to three days of remote learning per week may be implemented.

Blended learning is defined as a combination of face-to-face instruction and remote learning, which may be conducted either synchronously or asynchronously, and may or may not use digital platforms.